Luckily, we're in Amazon Prime Day sales week, and discounts are live on Amazon for several Apple MacBooks from 2026 and 2025. Now really might be your last chance to secure a decent deal on a new MacBook before Apple's new pricing structure filters down, as we'll be expecting tech retailers (including Amazon) to raise prices to match Apple's own soon enough.
These deals won't be around for long, either. With price rises now confirmed, those thinking about purchasing one of these Apple laptops will be rushing to hit the purchase button before paying extra. Stock shortages, especially on the cheapest models, could become a real possibility by the end of this sales week.
If you're interested, here are some of the best MacBook deals on sale right now, because you'll want to jump on them while you can.
Prime Day Deals on Apple MacBooks
MacBook Pro, Air, and Neo models from 2025 and 2026 are all on sale right now at Amazon for Prime Day. Amazon hasn't put all models on sale, however, but here are some of the deals we've spotted so far.
One thing to point out, however, is the MacBook Neo. Apple has just raised its MSRP to $699, meaning that Amazon's $589.99 price is $110 cheaper. This will not last long, so make sure to grab it at this price.
Other MacBook models, including the MacBook Air 2026 with a 512GB SSD, are seeing $200 price rises. The MacBook Pro, meanwhile, is getting a price rise of up to $400. This isn't reflected in these Amazon deal prices yet, which have knocked up to $150 off Apple's original prices, so you're guaranteed an even bigger bargain today if you can get your order in quickly enough.
No discounts (right now) on the new MacBook Neo, but it's sub-$600 price is still available at Amazon, at least for now. The MacBook Neo features a gorgeous 13-inch liquid retina display, an A18 Pro processor, 8GB of unified memory, 256GB of SSD storage, and a 1080p webcam. All packed in a thin and sturdy metal chassis. View Deal
The new 2026 MacBook Air now comes with the new M5 chip. This model ships with a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, 16GB memory, and 1TB of SSD storage.View Deal
Similar spec to the model above, but this MacBook Air has a smaller 512GB SSD.View Deal
The faster, more powerful 2026 MacBook Pro. This model, with its M5 Pro chip, has a 15-core CPU and 16-core GPU. It comes with 24GB memory and a 1TB SSD.View Deal
This elite-level 2026 MacBook Pro is a serious option for productivity. It has the 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU version of the M5 Pro chip. You also get 24GB of memory and a 1TB SSD for View Deal
The Apple MacBook Pro with M5 Max is the top-tier option for professionals. This model ships with an 18-core CPU/32-core GPU version of the M5 Max chip, along with a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina display. It comes with 36GB memory and a 2TB SSD.View Deal
Secure big savings ahead of these Apple price rises on the MacBook Pro 2026 with an even faster M5 Max chip, this model shipping with an 18-core CPU/40-core GPU variant. It has a bigger 16.2-inch Liquid Retina display, 48GB of memory, and a 2TB SSD for storage.View Deal
This 2025-model MacBook Pro ships with the 10-core M5 chip. It has a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina display, 16GB memory, and a 1TB SSD for storage.View Deal
This 2025-model MacBook Pro ships with the 10-core M5 chip. It has a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina display, 16GB memory, and a 1TB SSD for storage.View Deal
The era of AI tokenmaxxing may be well and truly over. Alongside stories of Amazon cutting its AI leaderboard and an unknown company blowing through $500 million worth of tokens in one month, leaked audio has emerged from consulting firm Accenture as it tries to figure out how to rein in rampant token spend at client companies, 404Media reports.
In leaked audio, Accenture acknowledges that certain trivial tasks being offloaded to AI are causing massive token overspend, especially when agentic AI is part of the mix. The staff in the meeting clearly recognizes that not only is AI spend growing out of control at companies heavily adopting the technology, but that there is very little way to predict how much any tasks would cost, or whether there is real value in using AI to complete them.
Accenture has previously been incredibly bullish on AI, even encouraging employees to use it so much that if they didn't, they risked missing out on promotions. But that seems like a policy destined for the AI history books, as Accenture is now clearly aware that it's overspending on AI, and many of its clients are too.
Anecdotally, I know a number of software developers and data engineers who have been encouraged to use AI as much as they can. They have token limits, but they have been encouraged to use all of them and find new ways to do it, too.
This is leading to runaway token spending, something Accenture is seeing in its client data. Accenture’s agentic AI strategy lead, Justive Kwak, was quoted in the audio saying: "What we’re seeing right now is just rapid escalation in AI token spend [...] as companies start to scale AI, moving from like simple chatbots into use cases that feature agentic workflows and automation and then enterprise-wide deployment of some of these tools like Copilot, Claude Code, and Codex."
This isn't something that will be contained to just a few firms, either, he said. “It’s really not a niche problem. It is a problem that every enterprise will face if they are bullish on AI, if they haven’t already,” he said, adding that token spend was increasing, “exponentially, as more and more people are starting to use AI.”
But that may be starting to change. Amazon canned its AI leaderboard - it's rumored to be the mystery company with a half-billion dollar AI spend in one month - Uber is capping AI use to cut costs, and Axios reported at the end of May that a number of CEOs and companies were switching to more affordable models, and more closely monitoring employee usage.
This all comes in the aftermath of the move by many of the major AI providers to token-based billing. Where previously subscriptions offered very favorable rates for AI use, suddenly companies were having to pay for the tokens they input, and the tokens the AI output - even when it was verbose, or made mistakes, or required follow-up correction.
As the Accenture call shows, it's making even some of the most AI-bullish organizations question their usage, because measuring the spend and the return on that investment is proving all but impossible.
As Kwak said in the leaked audio, "Leadership, especially at the CFO, COO, and CIO level, are still asking the question of whether they’re getting value from what we’re spending on in the context of AI.”
How do you measure return on investment?
Although large language models are proving to be extremely useful in niche cases, their effectiveness at a broader range of tasks is more nebulous. Especially when it comes to financing it. When managers and executives look at AI budgeting and a return on that investment, it's hard to square away the numbers.
When you can't know how many tokens a task will take to complete, or whether the task will be completed effectively on the first, second, or third attempt; when you can't completely control the length of the output, or know whether that output will be wrong, or a lie, or just a random hallucination, how do you measure return on the investment in that tool?
"We’re hitting this inflection point where AI is becoming material to the cost structure; spend is becoming very unpredictable," Accenture's Kwak said during the meeting. Although the overall bill of AI costs is visible, he suggested, finding the specific value attributed to that token spend was not.
This seems to have created a culture of task hierarchy within Accenture, where some tasks are deemed more worthy of AI token use than others. When Kwak positioned himself to show some slides during the meeting, Accenture's client group lead, Stuary Henderson, joked that he hoped Kwak didn't use AI to convert a PDF into images and then markdown files.
“I’m learning that’s one of the big token chewers," he said. “Turning PDFs into markdown: is that right?”
Kwak agreed that Accenture data did show some tasks being completed using AI that didn't really need it, and were using unnecessary tokens because of it. Much of that problem, he suggested, was down to non-technical staff overusing it.
“We’re seeing from some of the data internally at least that it’s actually not our engineers that are driving the token consumption. It’s a lot of the non-engineers that are doing some of those behaviors."
Now that Accenture has encouraged heavy AI adoption among its clients, it finds itself in the bizarre position of having to discourage it or at least encourage more studious use of it. It now sees its next opportunity as a way to advise clients on how to "think about token economics."
It's working on a tool called "Token IQ" to help advise clients, according to the call, but hasn't made any announcement so far.
What's clear from the Accenture leak and actions of some of the major tech companies, which have previously been so bullish on AI use, is that the finances of mass AI adoption at the per-token scale don't line up. Without a clear way to measure the return on AI investment, we may find even the most tokenmaxxing companies look to restrict access and spend through the rest of 2026 as they re-address AI strategy.
ASUS has started rolling out beta BIOS updates that restore Transparent Secure Memory Encryption (TSME) support to several AM5 motherboards, making it one of the first board vendors to implement AMD’s promised fix after the company was criticized for quietly removing the feature from non-Pro Ryzen CPUs.
According to VideoCardz, the beta BIOS files — which cover several ROG Crosshair, ROG Strix, TUF Gaming, and ProArt boards based on AMD’s X870, B850, and X670 chipsets — were reportedly shared through the ASUS ROG forum by overclocker SAFEDISK and include support for “GNR Transparent Secure Memory Encryption,” with GNR referring to Granite Ridge, AMD’s Ryzen 9000 desktop CPU family.
The BIOS updates are based on AGESA ComboAM5 PI 1.3.0.1b Patch A and appear to restore TSME support for non-Pro Ryzen 9000 processors earlier than AMD’s previously stated July timeline. X870 boards mostly move to BIOS 2401; B850 boards move to BIOS 1686; and X670 boards move to BIOS 3901 or 3886, depending on the model.
AMD officially confirmed to Tom's Hardware last week that it will reinstate memory encryption on Ryzen 9000 CPUs via a BIOS update, following “valuable community feedback.” AMD users had strongly expressed disapproval after the company silently removed TSME support from Non-Pro CPUs. TSME is a security feature that protects CPUs against physical exploits by encrypting the data stored in memory, making it unusable to physical attackers.
A user discovered that the feature was no longer available on his Ryzen 7 9700X system, even though it was enabled in the BIOS. Further testing involving MSI showed that consumer Ryzen chips could report TSME support under older firmware, but not after a newer AGESA update, while Ryzen Pro processors continued to support it. After countless reactions, AMD moved to fix the issue, setting July as the timeline for reinstating the feature via a BIOS update.
The ASUS update now suggests the fix is beginning to arrive earlier than AMD’s July timeline, positioning the company as one of the first board makers to package the reinstatement into actual motherboard firmware. However, this is not yet the broad, stable rollout most users will be waiting for. The files are beta BIOS releases shared through the ASUS ROG forum, so users who specifically need TSME may want to track them closely, while anyone running a production or stability-critical system should probably wait for final BIOS builds.
It's common knowledge that it's a bad time to buy a graphics card right now, since prices have surged and are likely to continue rising. However, Newegg's FantasTech Sale has one custom GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card that is currently the most affordable. The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Eagle OC Ice SFF 16G is up to 20% off the regular price, with a nice $220 in savings if you click the Discount Available section of the listing to claim your discount.
The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Eagle OC Ice SFF 16G comes equipped with the WindForce cooler, Gigabyte's triple-fan cooling solution for lower temperatures and noise levels. The graphics card also employs Hawk-branded fans with an eagle-wing-inspired blade design to improve airflow. It also uses server-grade thermally conductive gel to enhance heat dissipation.
The graphics card features a boost clock speed of 2,497 MHz, a 4% factory overclock above Nvidia's reference GeForce RTX 5070 Ti specifications. The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Eagle OC Ice SFF 16G has the dual BIOS functionality that lets you toggle between performance and silent profiles with a physical button on the graphics card.
A GeForce RTX 5070 Ti that employs the WindForce cooling system and flaunts a boost clock that scales up to 2,542 MHz. Click the Discount Available section of the listing to claim your discount.View Deal
The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the top choice if you want an exceptional gaming experience at 1440p (2560x1440) resolution. You can enjoy the latest games with remarkable image quality and high frame rates. The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is also capable of handling 4K (3840x2160) gaming, but you'll need to keep your expectations in check in some of the more graphics-demanding games.
If you're set on a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Eagle OC Ice SFF 16G from Newegg will save you over $200. It's not a bad deal, considering the current graphics card market and the fact that it'll likely worsen over time.
As much as I love high-priced tech like my RTX 4090-equipped gaming rig or the LG OLED TV I use as my monitor, most of us can't spend several hundred dollars on a tech purchase or gift all the time. But you can still improve your tech life (or the lives of your friends and family) while spending a comparatively small amount of money.
I own all of the affordable devices listed below, and all are on sale for under $50. Many are even under $25! All of these products have made my tech-saturated world a little nicer in their own way. If you're looking for a small tech splurge for yourself during this deals season, or an affordable gift for that tech-savvy friend or family member, one of these $50-or-under options might be a good fit and a great deal.
Last year, a family member asked me for help with an older PC, which was trying to run Windows 10 and several programs on a cramped 110 GB SSD. At first, I figured I could clone the boot drive onto a more spacious drive so the OS and programs had more space to stretch out.
But the thought of using multiple USB enclosures or shuffling drives in and out of my desktop filled me with dread as I pictured being there for hours getting everything done and the system back up and running. So I looked into getting an M.2 SSD cloner, and was surprised to see they can be found for less than $50.
With support for NVMe M.2 SSDs and offline cloning, this handy device makes it simple to move your files or OS from one drive to another. And with a 20 Gbps USB-C interface, it's also speedy in your OS of choice if you want to use software to clone or move your data between drives.View Deal
While I don't love the glossy plastic shell of Rosewill's model, it's one of the more affordable options. And it supports both NVMe M.2 drives and older AHCI models (Sorry, SATA). Using the cloner is pretty straightforward. You plug in the included USB-C power adapter, put your source drive in the left slot, the destination drive in the right slot, press the power button on the back, and a few logos light up, letting you know you're ready to go. Press the clone button on the top, and drive cloning will commence (provided your destination is the same size or larger than your source).
That's assuming you want to do an offline clone. But because I wanted to also resize the partition between the old 110 GB and the newer Team Group 512 GB SSD, I used the second included USB-C cable to connect the Rosewill cloner to my laptop and powered up the device. Within seconds, both drives were recognized in Windows, so I fired up the excellent free DiskGenius software, cloned the old partition to a new Team Group drive with a few clicks, and then used the software to drag the boot partition to the full size of the new drive. The whole process took just a few minutes, since the Rosewill cloner supports 20 Gbps USB, and I wasn't exactly copying a huge partition.
When the cloning process was finished and the partition inflated, it was hard to believe it was all that easy. I had expected to be at the task for hours, but I was done in less than 30 minutes. Sure, unless you're in IT, a drive cloner might not be something you use regularly, but it's sure handy to have around. You could also use it to save some money by buying a laptop with a cramped SSD and swapping in something much roomier – provided, of course, the laptop's storage isn't soldered to the motherboard.
The Rosewill cloner is also handy for just checking the contents of old M.2 drives you may have lying around. But if that's all you need, you can buy an NVMe enclosure or a single-drive dock. I also own a version of this model from Suitok, which costs $17.
This tiny, cheap, magnetic, USB-charging flashlight is great for PC building and other everyday tasks
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
I picked up the OLIGHT IMINI 2 mini flashlight last year on impulse, because it looked well-designed and cost around $20, but now it's down to just below $12. Its simple design and built-in USB-A plug for charging make it fun to use – just pull the back off and it turns on. And the magnet at the back lets you easily mount it anywhere you need a little extra light. I've used it inside a steel PC case while fiddling with RGB wires.
At just 2.17 inches long, this flashlight is rated to 50 lumens, and it sports a magnetic back with a USB-A plug for charging. Pulling the back off turns on the flashlight, and the magnetic back makes it easy to mount the light on anything with ferrous metal.View Deal
The OLIGHT IMINI 2 is also small enough for your keychain, is designed to live with your keys, and includes two silicone covers for the USB port and a little carabiner clip. But the flashlight portion is only held to the charging port via a magnet, and I feel like (for me, at least) it would fall off and get lost before too long.
I've used the HOTO 3.6V Screwdriver Set to build dozens of PCs
(Image credit: Hoto)
I build a lot of PCs, though not as many lately thanks to the RAMpocalypse, and I also do a fair bit of home improvement work around my apartment. So a cordless screwdriver is a nice thing to have. I also own a much slimmer Wowstick, but have found HOTO's NEX O1 Pro to be more useful thanks to its extra (and variable) torque. It's great for loosening those factory-installed screws on PC cases that just don't want to let go, and also good for assembling furniture.
The HOTO won't replace my DeWalt impact driver or drill for bigger, tougher jobs. But for everyday tasks, it's powerful enough, easy to charge over USB-C, and even looks good on my workbench.
Hoto's wireless screwdriver has three torque settings, charges over USB-C, and looks surprisingly good. It's even proven quite durable, as I've dropped it off of ladders and my workbench at least a dozen times, and it's still working flawlessly.View Deal
This travel-friendly 2K webcam is all most of us need for work calls and family chats
After using a few bulky and clunky 4K webcams during the pandemic, I picked up this 2K model from Anker in 2022 and haven't used anything else since. It's small, has a detachable cable, which makes it easier to toss in a bag, and most importantly, the 2K resolution sensor does a great job in both bright and low-light conditions. And while I don't often use the built-in mics because I prefer my headset, they have worked for me in a pinch more than a few times.
Anker's compact webcam has a built-in foot for angle adjustments or clamping on a screen, a tripod mount on the base, a detachable USB-C cable, and excellent image performance for the price. For most people, there's no reason to pay more for a 4K sensor or higher refresh rates.View Deal
You could spend less and get something serviceable with a rose sensor and fewer features, or way more and get a 4K webcam that tracks you around the room. But for most people, myself included, the PowerConf C200 is a great middle ground, especially now that it's on sale for under $50. I use this webcam every day, and like it so much that I have two of them: one for my treadmill desk and one for the desk in front of the TV in my living room that I use as a monitor.
Cheap USB media control box puts volume and track control a touch away
(Image credit: Amazon)
For those of us who grew up in the 1900s, few things beat a chunky tactile volume knob and physical buttons for controlling media, and Vaydeer's USB device provides that and then some. I own the previous version of this device and love it for controlling and muting music at my treadmill desk while I work.
I use the buttons on it to play / pause audio and video and move forward to the next track or backward to the previous one. It's totally plug and play, as no drivers are needed.
Just plug this simple USB device into a USB port and you can control the volume and select tracks without reaching for your keyboard or mouse.View Deal
8Bitdo SN30 Pro Wireless Bluetooth Controller
What's not to love about a SNES-inspired wireless gaming controller that's compatible with Windows, Mac, Android and the Nintendo Switch? Not much, but I own the original Pro model and not one of these newer models with translucent plastic shells. That's peak late-90s nostalgia and I really don't want to love it as much as I do.
As you might expect given this controller's small size and many more buttons than the SNES controller it was based on, its Rumble motors aren't the strongest, and the layout can feel kind of cramped for some modern games. But for any kind of retro game and especially platformers (I'm looking at you, Super Mario Bros. Wonder), this is my go-to controller. At this price, maybe I should pick up another one.
With its SNES-inspired design and white shell, this controller will appeal to gamers of a certain age. But its appeal goes beyond its looks., with Hall Effect joysticks, and support for the Switch, PC, macOS, and basically any OS that supports games and Bluetooth.View Deal
Go retro with modern specs with this NES-themed mouse from 8BitDo
There are so many gaming mouse options, most with specs that go well above and beyond my abilities. So I chose something with style that caught my eye, 8BitDo's Retro R8 Mouse with Charging Dock. This NES-inspired mouse is designed for nostalgia, with its black, gray, and red color scheme and round red side buttons. But 8BitDo went the extra mile (or two) by designing a weighted charging dock (with its own NES-like touches), and a spot for the 2.4 GHz dongle. This is the kind of extra feature that's more common in mice that cost twice as much.
The nostalgia of this mouse's design is nice. But it also sports a 26,000 DPI sensor, 4K polling, and a really nice charging dock that also houses the 2.4 GHz dongle. If you're in a pinch or just not gaming, Bluetooth is also supported. View Deal
Under the hood, you get a decent 26,000 DPI sensor and 4K polling (plenty for us older, non-esports gamers), and an ambidextrous design with two side buttons on either side, and a clicky, rubberized scroll wheel. The side buttons, which are concave, took a little getting used to for me. But they are also so distinctive that now I miss them while using other mice.
Never run out of USB ports with this powered 11-port hub
If you're like me, you never have access to enough USB ports. I solved this problem by picking up this Ikai hub, with 60W of power for your drives and peripherals and a premium metal shell. It sports three speedy 10 Gbps ports (two USB-C), along with seven 5 GBps USB-A ports. The final USB-C on the end of the hub is for charging your phone or other devices, and delivers 20W.
The other nice feature, is that all the data ports have a button on the side so you can toggle them on and off. Aside from saving a bit of power, I also find this handy for swapping between wireless mice and keyboards, while keeping the tiny dongles plugged in so I don't lose them.
With 11 ports and up to 10 Gbps speed, a solid aluminum shell, and buttons so you can cut the power to individual ports, this USB hub is a great addition to your desk. It has external power for better stability, and even a 20W USB-C PD port on the end for charging phones or peripherals.View Deal
The sole thing to keep in mind about this (and basically any) hub, is that it has a single 10 Gbps input. So don't expect to plug in multiple high-data devices (like SSDs) and have them run simultaneously at full speed. If that's what you need, you'll need to get a Thunderbolt or USB4 hub (and spend significantly more).
Add recessed power and USB ports to your desk for just $16
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
OK, this one's only for the DIY-inclined, because it involves cutting a hole in your desk (or anywhere else you might want some flush-mount power ports, like a nightstand). Jgstkcity's recessed power strip lets you drop a couple of AC outlets and two USB charging ports (one 30W USB-C) anywhere you need them – again, once you've cut a hole for it.
While it's always smart to be wary of no-name power strips, I've owned the older non-PD version of this strip for over two years and it's been functioning just fine. I have it installed in the narrow stand I built right behind my couch. It's a super-convenient place for power outlets, especially when friends or family stop by. I just warn people not to put drinks there. Thankfully, the coffee table is even more convenient for that and it's right in front of the couch.
You'll likely need a drill and a saw to install it, but having a couple of power plugs and USB-C PD power right on the surface of your desk or nightstand is super convenient. View Deal
Stay charged and save space while traveling abroad with Anker's slim Nano Travel Adapter
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
When you're traveling to another country for more than a few days, every small bit of space you can save helps. But you also usually need a travel adapter to plug your devices into the outlets of other countries. Anker's Nano Travel adapter serves both needs well, as it's roughly half the thickness of other adapters and is designed to work in over 200 countries.
The Nano Travel Adapter also has four USB ports for charging, which I've found super convenient for keeping my phone, ereader, and earbuds juiced up without needing a separate charger. There are two USB-A ports on the bottom and two USB-C on the side, with the latter delivering up to 20W. It also comes in black or white/silver. I opted for the white one, which makes it easier to find after months in a drawer when I'm not traveling.
Anker's slim travel adapter is 43% smaller than many other adapters, while supporting over 200 countries with its fold-down plugs. It also has two USB-C and two USB-A ports for charging, at up to 20W. View Deal
The major downside over other travel chargers is that the Nano Travel Adapter doesn't support plugging in devices with three-prong (grounded) plugs. But I haven't found this an issue since I typically plug things like my Baseus flat laptop charger in while traveling, rather than high-power devices like a desktop PC or hair dryer.
Powerowl's rechargeable batteries are good and surprisingly cheap
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
When I first started using rechargeable batteries with my Walkman in the early 90s, they were kind of awful (but still better than spending all my money feeding my music addiction). They couldn't hold a charge and didn't last nearly as long as name-brand disposable batteries. But here in the mid-2020s, rechargeables are surprisingly good.
Panasonic's Eneloops arguably ushered in the rechargeable AA and AAA renaissance, but PowerOwl's batteries are a lot more affordable and I haven't had a single one fail in over three years of using them in my various remotes, smart door locks, and other devices.
These PowerOwl Pro AA batteries are rated to 2800mAh (though I wouldn't put stock in that spec) and are rated to keep 60% of their power for two years. The included USB-powered charger isn't the fastest (10 hours rated), but it gets the job done. Clip the coupon to get it at this price.View Deal
If there's one thing everyone with modern tech could probably use at this point, it's an extra high-speed and compact charger. The Baseus 65W Flat Wall Charger is my favorite. It's especially great for travel, because it outputs 45W over USB-C for my laptop and up to 20W over USB-A for my phone or other devices, all while folding to a slim 0.66 inches thick. It's smaller than a deck of cards and easily fits in pretty much any bag pocket.
Its slim shape should also help keep the device fully inserted in loose hotel room power sockets, and while the outer shell is plastic, the build quality feels solid, and it includes a 3.3-foot USB-C charging cable for those of us who aren't already drowning in cables from other devices. You'll have to provide your own USB-A cable to charge a second device, but at its current sale price, there's hardly a reason to complain about that. And who doesn't have an extra USB-A charging cable at this point?
TP-Link's AX1800 WiFi 6 USB Adapter delivers Wi-Fi 6 to older devices over USB
(Image credit: TP-Link)
Have you upgraded your router to Wi-Fi 6 or later, but your desktop or laptop doesn't have the requisite hardware to take advantage of your recent network tech? TP-Link's AX1800 WiFi 6 USB Adapter is here to solve that problem for you. It's quite large by USB Wi-Fi dongle standards, but I've found it works quite well with the Wi-Fi 6 router I bought in 2020.
I have the router running downstairs from my office. And it instantly fixed an issue I was having with very poor reception from the SFF PC I built in the Fractal Terra case.
Sure, it's big and bulky with two antennas, but this Wi-Fi 6 USB adapter can deliver some serious speed to your desktop or laptop when paired with a Wi-Fi 6 or later router.View Deal
Orico USB 3.0 Clamp Hub is easy to mount on many desks
This is a four-port, 5Gbps USB-A hub that's designed to clamp onto your monitor or desk and give you extra convenient connectivity.
It comes in black or silver and has a nice, sturdy metal frame. Just note that its clamp section is pretty shallow and its adjustable screw can only open between 10 and 32 mm, so it won't fit on all monitors or desks.
An otherwise standard four-port USB 3.0 hub, this Orico model stands out for its metal frame and clamp design.View Deal
Clean up the cables under your desk with a tray
(Image credit: Delamu)
If you to get a handle on the PC cables in your home or office, some cheap cable management trays will do the job. This two-pack comes with tape, though heavier loads will ultimately require some screws.
Besides the trays, this kit also comes with cable ties and a few cable clips you can place along the bottom or sides of your desk. One of these has been holding up the PC cable clutter in my living room for the past year. But I had to screw it into my desk because it's holding one of the above Anker power strips, plus the large external power brick from my LG OLED TV/Monitor.
If there's a rats nest of cables under your desk, attaching some trays can help you clean it up. This set has tape for light loads, but for longer-term cleanliness, you probably want to consider screws.View Deal
Keep a fast charging cable with your keys
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
You may, like me, be swimming in a world of USB cables. But that doesn't mean you always have one when you need it away from home. This short 240W USB4 charging cable from EndlesShine solves that by being small enough to attach to your keys. It's not always convenient, at just over 5 inches long, but it will do in a pinch, and has come in handy more than once, particularly on trips when I'm traveling light.
It's short in length, at 5.11 inches, but this keychain cable supports 240W charging and USB4 (40Gbps speeds). Clip it onto your keys and you'll always have a fast cable when you need one.View Deal
If you're the type who is rough with your keys, the plastic cap may wear out over time, so you might want to just keep the cable in a pocket or your bag. It even comes in white and yellow if you don't like basic black.
Apple has made the unprecedented decision to hike the prices of all its current computers and tablets. iPhone prices remain as they were, for now. Bloomberg indicates that the rather steep price rises have been precipitated by increased costs of memory and storage. One of the most impactful hikes we see is the entry-level MacBook Pro going from $1,699 to $1,999. However, even the recently released but resource-starved MacBook Neo has had another $100 piled onto its price, so now it starts at $699 before tax.
Price Increases: MacBook Neo to $699 from $599; MacBook Air to $1,299 from $1,099; MacBook Pro to $1,999 from $1,699; iPad Pro to $1,199 from $999; iPad Air to $749 from $599. https://t.co/JSlxZ1zbdWJune 25, 2026
In addition to Gurman’s highlighted price increases, we spotted that the cheapest Mac Studio M4 Max (mini PC desktop) has had its price increased to $2,499 from $1,999. There’s a lot to take in, so check out our at-a-glance before and after table for quick reference.
Apple device price increases June 25, 2026
Device
Old price
New price
MacBook Neo
$599
$699
MacBook Air
$1,099
$1,299
MacBook Pro
$1,699
$1,999
Mac Studio M4 Max
$1,999
$2,499
iPad Pro
$999
$1,199
iPad Air
$599
$749
Bloomberg’s resident Apple expert, Mark Gurman, quoted an apologetic company rep. “We know this is not welcome news, and we are working tirelessly to find solutions,” a spokesperson from Apple told the reporter. Other interesting assertions from that conversation were that Apple had never seen component prices rise so high, so quickly. Moreover, its representative claimed that the firm did all it could to shield customers from any knock-on device price rises, stating the company had "shielded our customers from these increases so far, but we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices on a number of products including today’s increases for iPad and Mac."
While newsrooms might be agog at these price rises being implemented today, the writing has been on the wall of the RAMpocalypse for several months. Back in April, Tim Cook publicly forecast that the component shortages and price rises didn’t appear to be going anywhere soon. That statement came in the wake of the withdrawal of the entry-level $599 configuration of the Mac Mini, and Apple softening the blow of higher prices of its latest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models by upgrading memory and other tech specs.
Until now, it seemed like Apple’s massive buying power and vertical integration had managed to help it hold off computer and tablet price increases. Today, the brakes came off, pretty dramatically.
Anthropic, the American AI lab that created one of the most advanced large language models available today, has said in a letter to the U.S. Senate that Chinese AI tech giant Alibaba has illicitly used Claude to train its own models. According to Reuters, the company sent the letter to Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the chair of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), the ranking member of the said committee, before a scheduled hearing set to tackle AI issues.
This isn’t the first time that Anthropic has accused Chinese AI labs of “stealing” the capabilities of its AI model to train their own. Earlier this year, the company claimed that DeepSeek, Moonshot, and MiniMax used 24,000 fraudulent accounts and made 16 million exchanges collectively to train their own AI LLMs on Claude’s output. This method of training AI using the output of a more advanced model is called distillation, and while there are legitimate uses of this technique, such as when a frontier AI model is distilled to create a lighter, cheaper version of itself, it argues that competing labs can also use the same technique to build their own models at “a fraction of the time, and at a fraction of the cost, that it would take to develop them independently.”
The American AI lab says that it traced the distillation campaign back to operators that had connections with Alibaba, one of the largest Chinese tech companies often compared to Amazon, and Alibaba Qwen, its AI lab. Anthropic warns that distillation may help China create a frontier AI model that could match Mythos Preview’s capabilities — something many American lawmakers are afraid of.
While U.S. tech companies still enjoy an advantage when it comes to the latest AI models, Chinese tech companies are quickly catching up. In fact, Elon Musk estimated that a Chinese AI lab would have achieved a Fable 5-class AI model by the first quarter of next year, but the CEO and founder of Chinese AI lab Z.ai confidently replied, “won’t take that long.” Aside from that, many enterprise users are slowly switching to more affordable open-source Chinese LLMs for their agents as token costs spiral out of control, reserving the most powerful (and expensive) American models only for the most complicated tasks.
Both the U.S. and China are pushing hard to achieve AI supremacy, with the two rivals taking steps to reduce the advantage of the other. For example, Washington has been using export controls to limit Chinese access to advanced hardware needed to build the most advanced chips and for training AI, while Beijing countered this with its own controls on rare earth materials, some of which serve as key ingredients in chip making.
If you're craving a big monitor mostly for productivity purposes, this 37-inch monster from Samsung is half off today at B&H, or just $249. That's over $100 less than its lowest-ever price at Amazon and $150 more than its current price at Best Buy, making this this perhaps the best monitor deal so far this year.
Just note this is very much not a gaming monitor, as evidenced by its locked 60 Hz refresh rate and 5 ms response time. You certainly could game on it, but it lacks pretty much every modern gaming screen feature, save for its high resolution.
This is a large 37-inch 4K (3840 x 2160) monitor with a 60 Hz refresh rate, using a VA panel. Because of the panel type, don't expect great viewing angles. But when sitting directly in front of it, the contrast should be good. Samsung rates the screen at 350 nits of brightness and a 3,000:1 static contrast.View Deal
Aside from price, the 37-inch size is this monitor's major selling point, as it's pretty rare, sitting between typical 32-inch screens the truly large 40-42-inch monitors. If you're rocking a 27-inch or 32-inch monitor and looking for a size upgrade without spending a lot, this is a no-brainer so long as there's room for it on your desk.
As someone who has used TVs as monitors for over a decade, I can vouch for the value of a larger screen for work tasks. And I can't think of a time when I've seen a better combination of low price, large size, and high (3840 x 2160) resolution. If I didn't already have a spare 4K monitor in a closet (plus two 4K TVs I use as monitors), I would have ordered one of these already. I'd consider buying one anyway, but this is too big to fit in my closet.
Qualcomm has announced that it will bring all four of its Dragonfly data center product lines to China, including custom AI accelerators engineered to stay below U.S. export thresholds, CEO Cristiano Amon told Nikkei Asia on the sidelines of the company's investor day in New York on Wednesday. China supplied 46% of Qualcomm's revenue in 2025, almost all of it from smartphone silicon, and Amon’s data center plan could revive the same export-compliant strategy that cut Nvidia's China accelerator sales to almost zero.
Dragonfly covers AI accelerators, data center CPUs, custom silicon, and connectivity chips, and Amon said versions of every line will ship into China within the export rules. “We have versions of all of our products that comply with those guidelines,” he told Nikkei Asia, adding that Qualcomm is “engaged in conversations,” presumably with Chinese customers. The first accelerator, the AI250, is due next year and uses the company's HBC near-memory design instead of the HBM stacks that Nvidia and AMD racks rely on, a packaging choice that could pay off in a market where HBM is and will remain tight for the foreseeable future.
Qualcomm told investors that the data center unit is expected to generate $300 million this fiscal year and $5 billion in fiscal year 2027, figures the company designates as the early ramp of a total addressable market it projects will exceed $1 trillion by 2029. The push into China relies on Amon's argument that Qualcomm's existing relationships with Chinese phone makers and automakers extend to the data center, the same customer base behind its AI200 and AI250 inference accelerators announced last October.
China, however, isn’t a neutral buyer for Qualcomm at the moment: The country’s market regulator opened an antitrust investigation into its Autotalks acquisition in October, and has pressed domestic data center operators to source at least 50% of their chips locally while steering Alibaba, ByteDance, and Tencent toward Huawei and Cambricon parts.
Those dynamics have already gutted the export-compliant model that Qualcomm is looking to emulate. Nvidia’s H20, for example — the part it built specifically for China — had generated only about $50 million by late last year, and CEO Jensen Huang has said Nvidia has “zero” China market share left. Qualcomm is entering that lane voluntarily with hardware that won’t reach customers until at least fiscal year 2027, by which point Huawei's Ascend line and Cambricon's accelerators are scheduled to scale production well past current volumes.
Qualcomm has at least one confirmed buyer outside China, with Saudi Arabia's Humain already taking delivery of AI100 systems and committing to 200MW of Qualcomm racks. Inside China, the company still has to convince customers that Beijing is pushing away from foreign silicon.
Everyone wants the freedom of a great wireless gaming headset, but it's hard to find one that's budget-friendly without compromising on... well, a lot. HyperX's new Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless is a budget-friendly (ish) wireless headset that doesn't compromise on much — it's got large, 50mm dynamic drivers with a frequency response range of 10 - 50,000 Hz, an ultra lightweight, comfortable frame with reinforced metal yokes for durability, and it gets up to 80 hours of battery life on a single charge, which is a number we usually only see in much pricier products. The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless comes in at just under $100, which isn't nothing, but is significantly cheaper than the $200 - $300 price range of headsets with similar specs.
Design and Comfort of the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless
The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless is an over-ear (circumaural) wireless gaming headset with a lightweight plastic frame and a non-detachable flip-to-mute boom mic. It's mostly made of plastic, with a matte black finish and some machined texturing around the outer edges of the large, oval earcups, but it does have stainless steel sliders in the headband for durability. The earcups are independently height-adjustable, and they also tilt and swivel 90 degrees for flat storage (though the headset doesn't come with a travel bag or case). The earpads and the underside of the headband are padded with soft, leatherette-covered memory foam, which does an excellent job of passive noise cancellation.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
It looks like a gaming headset, mostly because it has a non-detachable boom mic. HyperX's HX logo is glossily debossed on both earcups, while the HyperX text logo adorns the top of the headband. It's not unattractive, but it does look a little cheap — I blame the matte black plastic; it's hard to have this particular finish without looking like you're cutting corners at least somewhat. It feels relatively sturdy for its weight, and the flexible frame makes me think it would hold up decently well if you take care of it. The leatherette-covered memory foam padding feels more premium than the rest of the headset, so that's a nice touch.
The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless is expectedly lightweight, weighing in at just 10.1 ounces (286.5g). It's almost two ounces lighter than the extremely comfortable HyperX Cloud III S Wireless (12.05oz / 341.5g), and it's half an ounce lighter than the Turtle Beach Atlas Air (10.61oz / 301g), which is one of the lightest wireless headsets we've tested. It's still heavier than wired lightweight headsets, however, such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 (8.3oz / 235g).
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Weight isn't the only factor when it comes to comfort, but it certainly helps — and the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless is a very comfortable and adjustable headset. The headband measures around nine inches (228.6mm) with the earcups fully retracted, and each earcup can be extended around 1.5 inches (38mm) for a total headband length of just under 12 inches (304.8mm). While it wasn't so comfortable that I forgot I was wearing it, I had no problems wearing the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless for hours at a time.
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It's a wireless headset, so it's got several on-ear controls. On the left earcup, from back to front, there's a power button and a USB-C charging port. On the right earcup, from back to front, there's a multi-function button, a volume wheel, and a mode switch for switching between 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
In the box, the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless comes with a short, 1.6-foot (0.5m) USB-C to USB-C charging cable, a 2.4GHz wireless USB-C dongle, and a USB-C to USB-A adapter.
Audio Performance of the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless
The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless has large 50mm dynamic drivers with a listed frequency response range of 10 - 50,000 Hz, which is pretty far outside the normal range of 20 - 20,000 Hz (though we often see headsets outside this range these days).
Music on the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless sounded good — a fairly neutral profile with no immediately noticeable distortion at either end of the spectrum. The bass in songs such as Kaskade's POW POW POW was powerful-feeling without being muddy, and I could hear the full reign of the kick drum at the beginning of Lorde's Royals. It wasn't the absolute clearest bass I've heard, but I was impressed with the balance between power and restraint. The mid- and high-range also sounded good, though perhaps a little too neutral for my taste. The high strings in Britney Spears' Toxic were well-curbed, but the dynamics in songs such as Farruko's Pepas and David Guetta's Titanium (ft. Sia) felt a little... lacking in excitement.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Games also sounded good on the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless. While it doesn't have a particularly wide soundstage, the headset did a good job of picking up detail in dense, layered audio environments such as the cities of Baldur's Gate 3 and Where Winds Meet, or the jungle of Uncharted 4. In noisy environments these details did tend to blend together in a way that was more cacophonous than artistically rendered (but I suppose that's pretty realistic to how audio works in the real world, too). Directional sound was accurate, if not as finely-tuned as it is in premium, performance-oriented headsets such as the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro.
The headset features dual-wireless connectivity, though not simultaneous — a switch on the right earcup lets you quickly switch between the headset's 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth 2 connections. Audio sounded a little compressed over the headset's Bluetooth connection, but it was fine for taking calls or scrolling through TikTok.
Specs
Driver Type
50mm dynamic
Frequency Response
20 - 20,000 Hz
Design Style
Overear (circumaural)
Microphone Type
6mm, unidirectional
Connectivity
2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth
Weight
10.1oz / 286.5g
Cord Length
N/A
Battery Life
80 hours
Lighting
N/A
Software
Ngenuity
MSRP / Price at Time of Review
$99.99
Release Date
April 30, 2036
Microphone of the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless
The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless has a non-detachable flip-to-mute boom microphone that sits on the end of a 3.5-inch (89mm) flexible gooseneck arm. The mic is a 6mm back electret condenser microphone with a unidirectional polar pattern, and it does a decent job of keeping background noise at bay, even without any software-based noise cancellation active.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
As for quality, the mic isn't anything to write home about — it's a pretty typical headset mic that picks up vocals loud and clear, but won't make you sound like you're a professional podcaster (or anywhere near that level). My voice sounded decently full over both voice chat and in recordings, but it still had the thin, slightly fuzzy quality that easily gave away the fact that this was a headset mic and not a standalone USB gaming mic. But as long as you're not creating content, this mic is perfectly capable for communicating with coworkers, friends, and teammates.
Features and Software of the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless
The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless is supposed to be configurable via HyperX's Ngenuity software, but I downloaded both the new Ngenuity (Ngenuity 3?) and the legacy version of Ngenuity, and neither was able to recognize the headset when it was connected to my PC (wired or wireless).
Luckily, the Cloud Stinger 3 works pretty flawlessly out of the box, so you shouldn't need the software (HyperX's Ngenuity software generally tends to be lacking on features, anyway) to use the headset. The headset comes configured by default with voice prompts that tell you when you're switching between connections and when your mic is muted/unmuted (though this is fairly obvious given that it's a flip-to-mute mic), and tapping the power button once gives you the headset's current remaining battery life. There aren't any settings I desperately wanted to change, though I did want to see if tweaking the EQ could pull out footstep details, and HyperX does boast about its software-based spatial audio on the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless' product page.
Battery Life of the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless
HyperX rates the Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless' battery life at "up to 80 hours" over 2.4GHz wireless, which is pretty impressive given how light the headset is. The BlackShark V3 Pro, which weighs 12.96 ounces (367g), gets up to 70 hours of battery life, while the 1.23-pound (560g) Audeze Maxwell 2 gets over 80 hours. Of course, HyperX's other headsets also have battery life that far outclasses their peers — the HyperX Cloud III S Wireless, which weighs 12.05 ounces (341.5g) and retails for $180 gets up to 120 hours over its 2.4GHz wireless connection.
Bottom Line
The Cloud Stinger 3 Wireless is a lightweight, comfortable wireless gaming headset that offers impressive performance and battery life for its $99.99 retail price. It has large dynamic drivers with a wide frequency response range and a fairly neutral (if a little boring) sound profile and up to 80 hours of battery life. It's extremely lightweight and comfortable, though it does look and feel a little cheap overall, and its flip-to-mute boom mic is perfectly adequate for most typical gaming situations. At $100, it's not quite what I'd call budget-friendly (more like the low end of mid-range), but it's definitely worth the price. My only real complaint is that it's a little boring (in both sound profile and looks) — for something a little more fun, I'd still recommend the $120 Corsair Void Wireless v2.
In a world where memory is no longer a commodity but a strategically valuable asset, customers are eager to sign long-term supply agreements (LTAs) with their suppliers to ensure a steady supply of 3D NAND and/or DRAM. Micron this week announced that it had signed 16 strategic customer agreements (SCAs), 14 of which are worth around $100 billion. Furthermore, the company expects to receive cash deposits and other commitments worth $22 billion, but has warned there is no foreseeable end in sight to the RAM crisis driving up PC component prices.
“14 of the 16 SCAs that we have signed have a cumulative revenue at minimum price per our contracts of approximately $100 billion over the remaining agreement term,” a statement by Micron reads. “Under the SCAs we have signed so far, we project to receive cash deposits and related financial commitments of $22 billion.”
Based on Micron’s claims, the company has about $100 billion of guaranteed baseline revenue already locked in under 14 of those 16 strategic customer agreements, assuming customers only buy the minimum committed volumes and only pay the minimum contract price. In reality, Micron can earn more if customers buy higher volumes or pay higher prices. Furthermore, Micron expects customers who signed these long-term SCAs to put up real money up front — or make equivalent binding financial commitments — as part of reserving future memory supply.
Micron claims it has signed strategic customer agreements with four 'very large customers' and three 'medium-sized customers,' which means that the contracts were inked with clients that previously did not commit to LTAs. The contracts are signed with a five-year term (except the automotive LTAs, which have a term of three years), from calendar 2026 to calendar 2030.
Micron claims that memory supply will be insufficient in 2027 and may improve gradually only in 2028. To that end, it is not surprising that its clients are willing to sign LTAs for 3D NAND and DRAM to ensure that they have enough memory for their products.
"With respect to supply, our customers are recognizing that supply shortages in memory and storage will take considerable time to improve," said Sanjay Mehrotra, chief executive of Micron, in prepared remarks. "Even as we expect industry supply to improve gradually in 2028, we currently do not have line of sight as to when memory supply will be able to catch up with increasing demand."
Normally, Micron and other memory producers inked LTAs with select clients only (read: with Apple, Nvidia). 16 LTAs is a lot for this kind of arrangement, and this looks like a business model shift for the company. It is noteworthy that the 16 signed contracts represent roughly 20% of Micron's DRAM volume and 33% of the company's NAND volume over the period through 2030. That said, Micron may sign more LTAs with more companies.
Valve has confirmed that the first batch of Steam Machines will only come with a single stick of 16GB RAM, limiting the device to single-channel memory. The company confirmed this in a correction to Gamers Nexus (GN), after its engineers initially said that Steam Machines could either come with a single 16GB stick or two 8GB sticks. “We misspoke here,” Valve wrote in its email to the media channel. “All units will actually have one 16GB stick of RAM.”
Tests have shown that using single-channel memory can reduce performance by about 9% to 13% compared to dual-channel memory, meaning gamers will feel the difference, especially in 1% lows. This is especially hard on the Steam Machine, which uses already aging hardware — a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU and RDNA3 graphics with only 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM. Note that AMD launched Zen 5 in 2024, while the RDNA4 GPUs dropped in early 2025. We also already have details for Zen 6 CPUs and have heard rumors that RDNA5 GPUs will arrive next year.
However, the company probably made this decision to keep the costs for the Steam Machine as low as possible. The device’s $1,049 base price is already steeper than what many are willing to pay for — an estimated $300+ price increase from the $700 to $750 target price that Valve presumably targeted. While its engineers did not confirm these numbers, they also said that the Steam Machine would have gotten a “probably similar” price hike to the one the Steam Deck experienced recently. Nevertheless, there is hope that later batches will have dual-channel memory, with Valve telling GN that there is a chance of this happening in the future.
This is another blow to the much-awaited living room PC console that is supposed to finally give PC gamers a chance to enjoy their Steam library with a console-like experience. Valve originally announced the Steam Machine and the Steam Controller in November last year, which was also around the same time that memory chips have started to be in short supply due to the massive demand from AI hyperscalers. The device was originally slated to launch in the first quarter of 2026, but the ongoing memory crisis forced Valve to hold off until it finally released the console this summer.
Although having only a single stick of RAM is a disadvantage to any system, more optimistic gamers can consider this a boon as they could easily upgrade the console to 32GB if they have an extra matching 16GB DDR5-5600 SODIMM stick lying around at home (or are willing to spend extra to buy one). Upgrading the console’s RAM is a rather involved affair, though, requiring you to remove a lot of components and sub-boards just to reach the RAM slots. But if you’re the adventurous kind and could score a good deal on laptop RAM, this might be a viable solution to getting more performance out of your Steam Machine.
The so-called memory wall is a major performance limiter for many AI workloads, and high bandwidth memory (HBM) is not always a panacea since compute capability is growing faster than memory bandwidth. Qualcomm on Wednesday introduced its HBC near-memory compute architecture called high-bandwidth compute (HBC) that is designed to break the memory wall and enable the performance of certain AI workloads to scale linearly.
Qualcomm's approach to near-memory compute is pretty much straightforward: the company disaggregates the AI accelerator from the system-on-chip (SoC) and puts it under the LPDDR DRAM stack. The HBC accelerator connects to the LPDDR stack using through-silicon vias to provide maximum bandwidth and capacity without using expensive HBM memory and advanced packaging. Qualcomm does not disclose the actual bandwidth HBC provides, though the company claims that it offers 6X higher bandwidth-per-watt compared to HBM and over 200X capacity compared to on-chip SRAM.
(Image credit: Qualcomm)
"We have separated the AI accelerator from the XPU and placed the XPU directly beneath a DRAM stack," said Tony Pialis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Data Center Business at Qualcomm. "This is very important because it gives us the performance advantages of SRAM with the density and capacity of stacked memory. In effect, the congestion associated with HBM is gone. The value to the industry is lower power consumption, less heat, and the elimination of the costly silicon interposer used by HBM solutions. We can also deploy multiple HBC stacks within a single compute device using standard packaging, which delivers a significant performance-per-cost advantage."
Putting DRAM on logic or next to logic is nothing new. All DRAM makers have experimented with near-memory compute architectures, but have failed to make them popular. More recently, GUC, a fabless ASIC design service company, proposed its DRAM-on-Logic (DoL) technology that places one to four DRAM layers on top of logic to get around 5 TB/s of memory bandwidth and offer higher performance than some HBM3E memory subsystems without using expensive advanced packaging and HBM3E stacks.
Since Qualcomm does not disclose actual performance numbers, it is hard to compare its HBC to GUC's offering. However, the biggest caveat about HBC is that Qualcomm does not tell us what the HBC accelerator actually does. In theory, it could be everything: a transformer-specific near-memory engine, a more general array of tensor cores, or some kind of preprocessing logic for AI inference or training.
(Image credit: Qualcomm)
Along with its HBC technology, Qualcomm also disclosed its HBC roadmap. While the company's AI200 accelerator, due later this year, will rely on LPDDR5X and offer 43 TB of RAM per rack, its successor AI250 will rely on the 1st Generation HBC that will offer 18X bandwidth of AI200. The AI300 will use 2nd Generation HBC that will provide 54X bandwidth of AI300.
Corsair's little touchscreen can be used either as a standalone display on your desk, mounted to any metal surface with magnets, or integrated directly into the side panel of select Corsair cases as a unique PC display.
The Corsair Xeneon Edge is a 14.5-inch display designed to serve as an extension for your desktop and give you a small screen to host your most important apps. Its versatility means you can mount it practically anywhere — horizontally under your main monitor, vertically beside your primary display, or as a digital status panel inside your PC case.View Deal
The Xeneon Edge display has a 2560 x 720 resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. At this size, that's more than enough for a diminutive display. Connectivity is provided by either HDMI or USB-C DP Alt Mode. There's also a separate mounting arm you can buy.
You can use the Xeneon Edge for a variety of different things. It can be used as a media control center, voice communication screen for Discord, or as a screen for comments and chat while you're streaming.
The AHVA panel should ensure a wide viewing angle, which is especially handy if you want to use it as a PC monitoring tool. With iCue integration, you can use it to monitor all of your PC's vital signs, including temperatures for your GPU and CPU. You can even 3D print your own accessories for the Edge to customize it.
A few people might argue that you should just get one of the best budget 4K monitors or best portable monitors if you’re really intent on getting more screen real estate. But if tabletop space is at a premium for your desktop PC, this might just give you the best of both worlds. It’s also a great accessory for those who simply want to build the best battle station, and you can get the Xeneon Edge straight from Corsair at just $199.99.
We're now over halfway through Amazon Prime Day, but the deals continue! There is still plenty of time to grab some of your favorite PC hardware, and we're tracking a range of deals on components like GPUs, SSDs, CPUs, and more.
Of course, the PC component landscape is pretty bleak right now, but that makes the discounts you can find all the more valuable. We're tracking prices 24/7 and curating them here, using our hands-on experience to bring you recommendations. We also track prices extensively
So, whether you're in the market for a new pair of headphones, a gaming keyboard, a monitor, or a cheap impulse buy, check out the deals below. Remember, you'll need an Amazon Prime Day membership for Prime Day deals, but plenty of the discounts on offer come from other retailers like Newegg and Best Buy.
The Corsair Xeneon Edge is a 14.5-inch display designed to serve as an extension for your desktop and give you a small screen to host your most important apps. Its versatility means you can mount it practically anywhere — horizontally under your main monitor, vertically beside your primary display, or as a digital status panel inside your PC case.View Deal
A Swiss Army knife of media access?
Suideck's USB attached drive and dock is more flexible than the BPAKDU. It has very similar optical and flash media compatibility, and SD / TF slots but with its added 2.5-inch SATA slot. However, you pay $11 more for the privilege. View Deal
At just 2.17 inches long, this flashlight is rated to 50 lumens, and it sports a magnetic back with a USB-A plug for charging. Pulling the back off turns on the flashlight, and the magnetic back makes it easy to mount the light on anything with ferrous metal.View Deal
The Samsung 990 Pro 1TB SSD is compatible with PCIe 4.0 x4 interfaces and can reach read/write speeds of up to 7,450/6,900 MB/s. The drive uses a Samsung Pascal controller and comes with a 5-year warranty.View Deal
Get a 25-piece electric screwdriver for PC maintenance or any DIY task. Comes with a 1,500mAh battery, LED, and extension rod. View Deal
Featuring the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Radeon RX 9070 XT, liquid cooling, and a premium Hyte Y40 chassis, the iBuyPower Y40 delivers high-end gaming performance at a surprisingly accessible price.View Deal
This slick external power button features a 2-meter (~78 inches) cable and a splitter that lets you connect both to your case's front panel buttons. It also includes adhesive pads and zip-ties.View Deal
A great refresh of the P1S, with a better nozzle, screen, camera, and improved cooling system. This is the new standard to which other 3D printers will be measured.View Deal
All the bits you will ever need to cosplay as an IT superhero. Take old consoles apart, fix laptops, remove SIM cards from smartphones, and pry open devices to learn their secrets!View Deal
Good morning an welcome to day 3 of Amazon Prime Day, stay tuned for all the very best deals on PC hardware from Amazon, and beyond!
Wavlink’s Thunderbolt 5 docking station falls to under $200 for Prime Day
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
If you have a Thunderbolt 5 Windows PC or Mac, investing in a good docking station is critical to supporting a large variety of accessories and monitors. This is especially true for ultrabooks, which often have only two external ports that must be shared between charging and connectivity. With this in mind, Wavlink's WL-UTD58 Thunderbolt 5 docking station is a perfect solution for adding I/O ports and is on sale for $195 (versus a list price of $299.99).
First of all, it is pretty well stacked with ports:
The Wavlink WL-UTD58 is a Thunderbolt 5 docking station that provides three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports, SD and microSD slots, four USB-A ports, and a 2.5 GbE port.View Deal
I tested the WL-UTD58-M version of this dock, which is identical, save for the inclusion of an internal M.2 slot for a PCIe 4.0 SSD. It offers solid performance, has good build quality, and has easily accessible ports. My only gripe is that the Thunderbolt 5 port for connecting to the host machine is on the front of the unit instead of the back, but that’s a relatively minor issue. — Brandon Hill
Get a 5070 laptop for just $1,249
If you're in the market for a gaming laptop, the Asus V16 gets you an RTX 5070 for just $1,249. That's one of the better laptops we've seen over this week, and this discount is new for the early hours of Thursday, the lowest price we've ever seen on this model.
Get an RTX 5070 laptop with a 144Hz display, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. View Deal
Gaming laptops are often very big and clunky, and while this isn't as light as a MacBook Air, it is definitely one of the lower-profile models on the market, making it a bit more portable.
The 10-core Intel CPU has four efficiency cores and six performance cores, with max boost clocks of up to 5.2 GHz. There's 8GB of VRAM in the RTX 5070, which should be plenty for good frames at the 1920 x 1200 resolution. While this is an LED display, rather than OLED, you're still getting a good 144Hz refresh rate. Couple that with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, and this is a pretty excellent gaming laptop. - Stephen Warwick
UK monitor madness
Just scouring some UK deals, and I've come across this frankly ridiculous monitor deal. You can get a 27-inch Lenovo gaming monitor with 2560 x 1440p resolution and a 200Hz refresh rate for just £99, fully 50% off the usual price.
Get a 200Hz QHD monitor for just £99, which includes two HDMI 2.1 ports, DisplayPort 1.2, and an anti-glare screen. View Deal
This would be a fantastic monitor to pair with a gaming PC, or for use with an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, and at just £99, it's one of the best-value monitors in the UK right now. - Stephen Warwick
It’s Grand Theft Auto VI preorder day, and here are all the links to get the Standard or Ultimate editions
(Image credit: Rockstar)
Grand Theft Auto VI is by far the most highly anticipated new game release of 2026, and perhaps, ever. Preorders opened this morning at midnight ET, but the game won’t actually be available to play until November 19, 2026.
If you’re feeling eager to hand money to Rockstar and Take Two Interactive early, the Standard Edition is available for $79.99. It includes the base game, the Vintage Vice City Pack with retro-themed cosmetics, and the '55 Vapid Stanier vehicle. Stepping up to the Ultimate Edition for $99.99 gets you extra side missions and activities, more vehicles, guns, and a closet full of outfits and cosmetic flourishes for the two protagonists: Jason and Lucia.
Grand Theft Auto VI is the most highly anticipated game of 2026View Deal
Grand Theft Auto VI is the most highly anticipated game of 2026View Deal
Here are all the current retailers that are offering preorders for Grand Theft Auto VI:
At under 9 cents per gigabyte, it's one of the best prices we've seen in recent months for a solid-state drive. Granted, it's an external drive that requires its own power adapter, but if you need desktop storage that's faster than a hard drive, it'll get the job done. Plus, it's blue, unlike the previous-gen version, which we tested in 2024.
SanDisk advertises this drive as "up to 4x faster than a desktop HDD," and it's rated at up to 1,000 MBps, so it's no speed demon. It also needs its own power plug, but that means you can connect to your device via USB-C or USB-A. Both cables are included, but generally, a USB-C 10 Gbps connection will deliver faster speeds than most USB-A ports.View Deal
SanDisk's Desk Drive line is a little unique in that it's meant for permanent, desk-bound use, because it needs both a USB connection for data and a barrel connector for power. That makes it good for backup and local storage, but it's not the typical tiny external SSD you can toss in a bag with one cable and take wherever you need it. Think of this as the solid-state equivalent of a desktop external hard drive.
It is much smaller than a 3.5-inch drive, but it's not very portable. When we tested the previous version of this drive, we saw real-world read speeds under 800 MBps, and writes under 550 MBps. That's not bad, but not near the fastest 10 Gbps drives we've tested. Hopefully, SanDisk has improved performance for this updated generation, but for backup and most mainstream use, this drive should be fine, and is much faster than an external hard drive. And since it's solid-state storage, it should be hold up much better to the occasional bump or drop. --Matt Safford
(Image credit: Sandisk)
One of the best budget gaming keyboards we've tested hits its lowest-ever Amazon price of just $43 — RK R65 packs lubed switches, metallic knob, and gasket mount for excellent sound and feel
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Royal Kludge's RK R65 is one of our picks for best budget mechanical keyboards, thanks to a and-out feature set for the price, plus excellent sound and feel. It normally sells for between $50 and $60, but today at Amazon, you can pick up this compact 60% clacker for just $42.74.
The RK R65 is an excellent budget 60% wired keybaord, with RGB, swappable factory-lubed linear switches, a gasket mount and silicone pads, QMK/VIA support for customizing keys, and a metal volume knob. This is by far one of the nicest-sounding and nicest-looking keyboards I've used in this price range.View Deal
The R65's feature set reads like something priced closer to $100. The keyboard boasts RGB backlighting, factory-lubed switches (RK Cream in this variant), a gasket mount, two silicone pads to absorb stound, and (somewhat) metal volume knob. The result is the best-sounding budget keyboard I've ever used — so much so that I've been using it as my daily driver in the office for over a year, despite the lack of a Function row and other handy keys.
The 60% layout is best-suited to gaming, and it works quite well for that. But with its dedicated arrow keys, I get by using it for productivity. And if you don't like the bronze-and-brown color scheme of this model, there are four other color and switch options that are currently priced between $45 . -- Matt Safford
Apple’s 13.6-inch M5 MacBook Air gets a huge $350 discount — 16GB/1TB drops to $949.99
Although a lot of the deals during Prime Day have been PC-centric, Amazon is also showing some love to people of the Apple persuasion. The MacBook Air is Apple’s perennial bestseller, and the current-generation 13.6-inch model with the M5 chip, 16GB of memory, and a 1TB SSD is now priced at $949.99, which is a steep 27% discount from its $1,299.99 MSRP.
In this case, the discount only applies to the “Starlight” colorway, which is a mix of silver and light gold. The 13.6-inch IPS display carries a 2560 x 1665 resolution, while a 12MP Center Stage camera is nestled in a notch at the top of the display. The laptop only features two Thunderbolt 4 ports for connectivity, but you at least get a dedicated MagSafe 3 port for charging (so you don’t have to “waste” one of the Thunderbolt 4 ports).
The 13.6-inch MacBook Air has an M5 processor, 16GB of unified memory and a 1TB SSD.View Deal
The 2.7-pound laptop comes with a 53.8 WHr battery, which lasted over 15 hours in our endurance testing. The MacBook Air isn’t the fastest laptop on the market, and it doesn’t offer a fancy OLED display, but at this price, it is absolutely one of the best values. — Brandon Hill
This multi-device wireless gaming headset is $100 off for Prime Day
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
If you're looking for a headset that can connect to your PC, your PlayStation, and your Xbox at the same time, look no further than the Astro A50 X Lightspeed. This premium wireless gaming headset is lightweight and versatile, though it requires its base station to work — and it's currently on sale for $299.98 at Logitech — that's $100 off its regular retail price of $399.99 (yeah, it's a pretty expensive headset to begin with).
This wireless over-ear gaming headset is designed to connect to up to three devices at once (plus Bluetooth). It comes with a powered base station that acts as a charging dock and a transmitter. View Deal
The Astro A50 X Lightspeed is a wireless over-ear gaming headset that comes with a powered base station that acts as both a wireless charging dock and a transmitter. The base station can connect to your PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox at the same time, though it does need to connect to each device via cable. Then, you can switch between three connections — four, if you also connect to Bluetooth — with the press of a button. One caveat, though — all connections use the base station, including the Bluetooth connection. So you won't be able to take this headset on the road (or, well, even too far from your PC) with you.
The A50 X features Logitech's 40mm Pro-G Graphene dynamic drivers, which have a frequency response range of 20 - 20,000 Hz. The headset has a non-detachable omnidirectional boom mic and a lightweight plastic frame with felt-covered padded earcups. It's a fairly comfortable headset with a slightly bass-heavy sound profile that can be tweaked using Logitech G Hub. You can read my full review of the Astro A50 X here. — Sarah
My favorite faux-leather desk mat is just $11
My favorite faux-leather desk mat is yet again on sale for just $11.30 at Amazon — 19% off its normal retail price of 13.99. Assuming you're not looking for a performance-oriented gaming mouse pad, this desk mat is a great option for protecting your desk and making it look great.
Sarah's favorite faux-leather desk mat is attractive, easy to clean, and enormous (31.5 x 15.7 inches). Perfect for keeping your whole desk looking brand new. View Deal
It comes in a variety of colors (I personally like the navy blue, but it also comes in a variety of dark and light colors, all of which are on sale) and sizes. I've been using the dark blue 31.5 x 15.7-inch desk pad as my primary backdrop for photos (you probably recognize it), but I also have it in light blue, light grey, and lavender. It has a soft, matte faux leather top and a suede-like non-slip backing with unfinished edges. It's super easy to clean and also comes with a one-year warranty. And it's only $11, so, why not? — Sarah
Netgear Nighthawk RS90 delivers value-priced dual-band Wi-Fi 7 coverage for under $90
The Nighthawk RS90 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router, meaning it supports the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless bands but lacks the higher-performing (at shorter ranges) 6 GHz radio. However, that omission means that dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers can be much cheaper. In this instance, the RS90 is $87.39, down from $129.
The RS90 includes four GbE ports, one 2.5 GbE WAN port, and supports up to 2,000 square feet. It features a tall, black, monolith-like design and can support up to 50 devices simultaneously.
Netgear's Nighthawk RS90 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router with a sleek exterior (aided by its internal antennas). It also has a full load of GbE and 2.5 GbE ports to support your wired client.View Deal
For ease of setup, the RS90 can be configured quickly using the Netgear Nighthawk smartphone app, or, if you prefer, via the desktop-based webGUI. The RS90 also comes with a 30-day trial of Netgear Armor, which provides network intrusion protection and malware detection for your connected devices. - Brandon Hill
Ultra-wide monitors are a great productivity enhancer, giving you more horizontal workspace. That’s especially true of the LG Ultragear 45GX950A-B, a 45-inch gaming monitor currently priced at $1,337.90, down from a high of $1,999.99.
The LG Ultragear 45GX950A-B is a 45-inch OLED monitor with a 5120 x 2160 resolution, which operates at 165 Hz natively, or 330 Hz at WFHD.View Deal
The 45GX950A-B features a 21:9 aspect ratio, 5,120 x 2,160 resolution, and, most importantly, a WOLED panel. Not only do you get the brilliant colors inherent to OLEDs, but the underlying WOLED panel technology also skews toward higher brightness (1,300-nit peak in this case).
Regarding performance, the 45GX950A-B can operate at up to 165 Hz at its native resolution, but jumps to 330 Hz at WFHD (2560 x 1080). It offers a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio and 98.5 percent DCI-P3 coverage, while being DisplayHDR True Black 400-certified. On the connectivity front, the monitor offers two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 2.1 port, and a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode support.
Get almost $100 off on AMD Ryzen 7 9700X - Just $259 (28% off) starts your upgrade journey into the AM5 platform
Prime Day 2026 has seen many discounts come and go. One of the better deals we’ve seen on AMD processors is the Ryzen 7 9700X, which is on sale for only $259.23. While it’s not at an all-time low, this is the best price since late 2025. The 9700X is based on the Zen 5 architecture and is an 8-core, 16-thread processor that fits AM5 motherboards (think X870, B850, X670, B650). We reviewed this CPU when it launched, and while it’s not an X3D chip, we loved its gaming performance for the price, low power consumption, and ease of cooling.
Save almost $100 on the Ryzen 7 9700X processor in this Prime Day deal. Just $259.99 gets you the latest generation unlocked 8-core, 16-thread processor that will charge through any task you throw at it.View Deal
FutureFutureFuture
The chip has a base clock of 3.8 GHz and boosts up to 5.5 GHz. The low TDP (65W) and PPT (88W) make it easier to cool, and you can potentially have a quieter system since you aren’t cooling over 200W like their flagship-class processors. If this isn’t a drop-in upgrade from the 7000-series, check out our best motherboards and best motherboard deals articles for help finding one on discount.
Save 72% on this brilliant Razer mechanical gaming keyboard
The Razer Huntsman V2 Analog has been a popular choice for a few years, and while it is aging, it's still a great board to own. Luckily, you can pick one up for nearly 2/3rd's of its original price, with Woot dropping the cost to just $69.99.
That's $35 less than you'll find on Amazon right now, and $15 less than Amazon's best-ever price for it.
Grab this top-quality wired Razer keyboard with RGB lighting and analog optical switches, as well as an ergonomic magnetic wrist rest.View Deal
This is a great board for gaming. It comes with analog optical switches, which you can customize to suit your preferences. It has rapid trigger mode, letting you repeatedly press keys at a faster rate in any fast-paced games you play. It features doubleshot PBT keycaps for durability, and includes RGB lighting across each key.
You also get an ergonomic, magnetic wrist rest for maximum comfort. This is Razer at its best, and with a 72% discount, it's one epic bargain that you won't want to ignore. - Stephen Warwick
This fun $28 SSD enclosure is practical nostalgia for storing your files
This Hagibis SSD enclosure for $27.99, shaped like an old floppy disk, is the perfect no-need-to-think upgrade for your storage setup. It's cheap, easy to use, and practical, but it's also fun.
This Hagibis SSD enclosure brings back the classic floppy disk to the modern age. This USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 drive enclosure supports M.2 NVMe 2230 and 2242 SSDs and measures just 2.6 x 2.6 x 0.2 inches in size.View Deal
After all, everyone has a boring old black box for their storage. This floppy disk SSD enclosure lets you indulge in some nostalgia (if you're old enough to remember using these, that is). It works by placing an internal SSD inside the drive and using it as portable storage. This will save you big money on the cost of an external SSD, especially if you're a techie with any old drives going spare.
You're not just buying a useless box here. Any internal M.2 NVMe SSD will work inside this enclosure, letting you hook it up to your PC or laptop using a USB-C cable. It offers USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds of up to 10 Gbps, so the enclosure should, theoretically, offer a maximum read and write speed of around 1,000 to 1,2000 MB/s. That's a big increase over a microSD card or flash drive, for instance.
If you've got a spare drive, pop one in this SSD enclosure. If you don't, you can couple it with one of the few Prime Day SSD deals that are around at the moment. — Ben Stockton
This excellent pre-built PC is still an incredible $700 off
Expensive RAM and SSDs have sent pricing skyward, making pre-built gaming PCs often the best pathway to getting a new system at a reasonable price. This MSI Codex R2 gaming PC is a perfect example, with its $710 discount putting pricing well ahead of what you would pay for the components separately. If you want a PC that comes ready to play out of the box and don't want to negotiate tricky RAM and SSD prices, this is a great option.
This pre-built PC comes with Intel Core i5-14400F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB of DDR5, 1TB SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11, and more. View Deal
While the CPU is an older generation model, that's a great way to save in the current crisis and is competent to push the RTX 5070, which provides plenty of grunt for most 1440p gaming. As per our testing data, the 5070 is excellent in the mid-range category, and gives out average frame rates of over 100 FPS at 1080p, or 75 FPS at 1440p. 4K gaming is definitely a stretch on this one, but at just $1,589, that's to be expected. - Stephen
While it’s arguably a compact cordless vacuum first, Hoto calls this handy desk-side gadget a Compressed Air Canister, and that’s more apt, because it functions both as an air duster and a vacuum, making it a handy rechargeable device that I’ve kept near my desk for the past year or so. And right now, it’s 25% off for Amazon for Prime Day.
This combination air duster and vacuum is great for cleaning out things and cleaning up small messes. It’s rated to 500 L/min air output and up to 15,000Pa suction, comes with several handy attachments and, like most similar devices, will run for about 10 minutes at full speed before needing a recharge over USB-C View Deal
I’ve used the Hoto’s vacuum feature dozens of times, mostly to clean up small messes like dropped bits of salad around my desk. Its dirt canister is pretty small, so don’t expect it to be super useful for larger tasks like cleaning out a car or collecting larger piles of debris, but it’s helpful for keeping your desk space tidy.
Likewise, if you remove the vacuum attachments, spin it around, and add one of the nozzles on the other end, it’s great at blowing dust and debris out of keyboards, the insides of PC cases, or other tasks you might typically use canned air to tackle. Whichever way you use it, this device from Hoto delivers a useful amount of air movement. It’s not as compact as some dedicated rechargeable blowers, but it’s still compact, about the size of a tall drink can, with a slimmer circumference.
It is, of course, taller with its attachments, and my main complaint is that Hoto doesn’t give you anything to keep track of the attachments, so I often have to spend time hunting them down when I need something that isn’t already connected to the device. But if you have a 3D printer, you can solve that problem yourself with one of these handy designs. — Matt Safford
The preorder pages for GTA will drop at midnight local time in the US tonight, and you can buy both the Standard and Ultimate editions at the links below. Digital preorders of either variant get a month of GTA+ subscription as a preorder bonus.
Hype is cyclic. Once upon a time, there was Daikatana, the game that would have John Romero making us his female canine, but flunked hard. Then there was Half-Life 2, a game that still begs for a third installment today. Spore showed us how excellent ideas still need equal execution. In modern times, No Man's Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 both had massive hype and massive flops, turned around with many years' labor. And yet to this day, there's nothing quite like the buzz surrounding Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto VI, or as it'll be forever known, GTA 6.
The Standard edition goes for $79.99 and has the base game, the Vintage Vice City Pack with retro-themed cosmetics, and the '55 Vapid Stanier vehicle. The Ultimate Edition goes for a cool $99.99 and contains extra side missions and activities, additional vehicles, guns, and a truckload of outfits and other cosmetics for Jason and Lucia both.
These preorders at retailers mean you purchase a physical box that has a slip of paper inside with a download code, but not physical media. As such, this is for collector's item purposes. Without further ado, click away to your favorite e-tailer.
We won't bother rehashing details about the impending sequel to Rockstar's massively successful and still giant money printer Grand Theft Auto V. Suffice to say that the November 19 release is so hotly anticipated that employees are calling sick already, and there are reports of entire workplaces planning to shut down for the day. Many publishers and studios are reshuffling their release calendars so as not to get drowned in what is guaranteed to be the talk of the Internet for at least a few weeks, too.
Meanwhile, PC gamers will have to wait a year to see the game running natively on their systems and will have to drown their sorrows in one of the literal thousands of games that never make it to consoles. Regardless, Take Two Interactive's revenue is probably going to rival that of some AI companies — but in real dollars.
We’ve got our sights set on Amazon Prime Day, which is running from June 23-26, 2026, and the bargains for some of the best 3D printers are hot! But Amazon is not the only place to snag a great deal. Manufacturers are holding fantastic sales on their own websites, and most are offering free shipping along with can’t-miss filament bundles.
The Anycubic Kobra X is one of the best, most affordable 3D printers you can buy, and it’s currently on sale for $299.99 on Amazon for Prime members. We love its space-saving design with top-mounted spools and a compact multimaterial handler packed right in the tool head. It also has a quick swap nozzle and a roomy 260 x 260 mm build plate.
By keeping the material mere centimeters from the nozzle at all times, the Kobra X has a competitive speed advantage. During our testing, it could swap colors in about 35 seconds from cut to purge, while the Bambu A1 took as long as 90 seconds to swap. Those seconds can really stack up over hundreds of layers of multicolor printing.
Because it only needs to retract filament a very short distance, the Kobra X is one of the few machines that can mix standard TPU and PLA in one print.
Bambu Lab A1 and A1 Mini
Tom's HardwareTom's Hardware
Bambu Lab only offers three of its older model 3D printers on Amazon: the A1, A1 Mini, and P1S. It’s not surprising, as these are also its most popular, budget, and beginner-friendly machines.
The A1 Mini is our favorite recommendation for kids starting a 3D printing hobby. Its compact size, ease of use, and full access to Bambu Lab’s ecosystem make it a machine that can grow with you as you level up your skills. It’s currently $349 with a four-color AMS Lite, or $234 as a single-color machine on Amazon.
The A1, with its standard-sized 256x256mm build plate, is a no-brainer for beginners who want to start with a full-size machine. This machine is currently the most cloned 3D printer, but its print quality, speed, and simple interface are hard to beat. Bambu’s full-service ecosystem isn’t quite a walled garden, but it’s certainly a cozy place to stay for beginners learning the ropes. Amazon currently has the A1 Combo for $394, but you can get a better price, along with discounted filaments, at Bambu’s own website. The A1 Combo is $379 with a build-your-own filament bundle that lists spools at 45% off.
Bambu Lab P1S
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
A fan favorite workhorse since the day it was launched in 2023, the P1S is Bambu Lab’s bargain, no frills, fully enclosed 3D printer. It’s currently on sale for $499 on Amazon as a four-color combo unit that includes the original AMS.
The P1S has all the print quality you’d expect from a Bambu Lab machine, but has a few old-school quirks. Swapping the nozzle involves minor surgery with a screwdriver, thermal paste, and a steady hand. It has an extremely basic “dumb screen” interface on the printer, which can be easily avoided if you use either the Bambu Handy mobile app or simply operate from your PC, as I do.
Elegoo Centauri Carbon
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Elegoo’s single color, fully enclosed, Centauri Carbon is holding steady as a value leader with a $299.98 price tag on Amazon. You can also get it on the Elegoo website, but you’ll have to pay extra for shipping.
The Centauri Carbon is a bare-bones enclosed 3D printer that handles a wide variety of filaments, from PLA, PETG, and ASA to TPU, quite well, without the need for a heated chamber. It has a standard bed size of 256 x 256mm, which means 3rd party build plate upgrades are easy to find. Our only complaint was the dim light, which, when combined with a smoked glass door, makes watching your prints difficult.
Though Elegoo did recently come out with a $55 four-color CANVAS upgrade for the Centauri Carbon, if you really want a four-color machine, I’d recommend the Centauri Carbon 2, only available on the Elegoo website, for $449 at the time of this writing. The upgrade kit is a nice gesture for CC1 owners, but it requires about 2 to 3 hours to mod your printer.
Creality SparkX i7
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
If you're looking for an affordable entry into multi-color printing, the Creality SPARKX i7 Color Combo is a fantastic pick. What really seals the deal is the CFS Lite spool manager, a low-maintenance, incredibly adaptable “magic box” that handles every size and type of spool I could throw at it, including quarter-sized mini spools and spoolless coils, during testing.
The SPARKX i7 Combo is currently $369 on Amazon. It has a 260 x 260 x 255mm build volume, which is a bit bigger than Creality’s old Ender 3s without moving into Plus size territory. The Creality Cloud mobile app is a worthy addition for new users who want to pick fun models from their phone, run them through an easy slicer, and send them directly to their printer without needing to log onto a PC.
Flashforge AD5X and Creator 5
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The single-nozzle/multicolor Flashforge AD5X is a solid entry to four-color, Core XY printing on a budget. The machine is currently on Amazon for $322 as an open-frame machine. The enclosure seen on our review unit was a DIY kit sold for $50 that includes panes of acrylic and a bag of screws: you print the rest yourself.
The AD5X does a great job with standard filaments, soft TPU, and can handle ASA when enclosed. The simple material handler is similar to Elegoo’s CC2, which keeps each filament a few inches from the top of the toolhead and doesn’t need to retract back onto the spool. Sometimes keeping it simple really is the best.
Unfortunately, the Creator 5 tool changer is not on Amazon for Prime Day, but it is currently on sale for $699 on Flashforge’s own website. We recently finished testing the Creator 5 and found it to be one of thebest 3D printers of the year, which we hope is filled with even more toolchangers to come.
OpenAI and Broadcom have introduced Jalapeño, a custom-built inference processor designed specifically for modern large language models and future agentic AI workloads, which is designed to deliver performance per watt they claim is higher than today's leading-edge hardware. OpenAI considers its hardware project a strategic one and envisions Jalapeño to be the first generation of its inference hardware.
Not another AI accelerator
OpenAI stresses that Jalapeño is a purpose-built inference ASIC and not a repurposed training accelerator or a general-purpose AI processor. OpenAI says the architecture of Jalapeño was designed based on its understanding of LLM behavior and is meant to address practical bottlenecks that matter for inference at scale, including costly data movement, balance between compute and memory resources, networking efficiency, and overall behavior. OpenAI also states that the design of the processor is meant to wed high throughput with low latency (which is why it uses a huge compute chiplet and HBM memory and not cheaper types of DRAM like many other inference accelerators), which will be particularly handy for reasoning and agentic workloads.
In addition, OpenAI and Broadcom claim the processor is built to deliver higher effective utilization than conventional AI accelerators and deliver performance that is close to the theoretical maximum, which means very high efficiency both in terms of costs and in terms of power. Meanwhile, the companies did not disclose performance targets for their Jalapeño ASIC, so these claims should be taken with a grain of salt.
Engineering samples are already operating in the lab at target clock speed and power (though Broadcom and OpenAI do not disclose details about this, either), and OpenAI says it is running machine learning workloads, such as GPT-5.3-Codex-Spark.
The two companies also claim that early internal testing indicates that Jalapeño's performance-per-watt is substantially better than 'current state-of-the-art hardware,' although no hard numbers, benchmarks, memory configuration, or other details are disclosed, so again, we will have to take the claims with a grain of salt. In addition, one must bear in mind that while Jalapeño can purportedly beat existing AMD's Instinct MI350-series and Nvidia's Blackwell-based accelerators, it remains to be seen how competitive it will be against AMD's Instinct MI400-series and Nvidia's Rubin-based offerings.
"Jalapeño was designed from the ground up for LLM inference using detailed insights from our close collaboration with OpenAI researchers," said Richard Ho, who leads OpenAI's hardware program. "We optimized the architecture around the kernels, memory movement, networking, and serving patterns that matter most for frontier AI models. Based on early testing, Jalapeño will efficiently execute our most important workloads close to the hardware’s theoretical limits."
A massive chip with six HBM modules
While Broadcom and OpenAI did not disclose specifications of Jalapeño, they did show its wafer and packaging, so we can do a brief analysis. The package appears to contain one large compute chiplet surrounded by six HBM modules and another chiplet that likely packs input/output interfaces and is surrounded by two structural dummy dies.
(Image credit: OpenAI)
The wafer image does look like a Broadcom-style systolic-array-heavy accelerator, in the sense that it shows a very regular, repeated, columnar floorplan with what looks like replicated compute regions and fixed infrastructure macros. Yet, keep in mind that we are speculating, and the image is not clean enough to say that this is definitely Broadcom's standard TPU-like systolic array template with some perks from OpenAI,
From the image alone, it is impossible to tell whether Jalapeño uses a true 2D systolic array, a set of 1D/2D matrix engines, a collection of vector or tensor tiles, or some other inference datapath. All we can say is that the die has a highly repetitive floorplan consistent with several kinds of tiled AI accelerator architectures.
(Image credit: OpenAI)
What we can tell from the image is the approximate die size of Jalapeño's compute chiplet based on the size of HBM3/4 packages (10.975 mm × 10.975 mm) that surround it. From what we can tell, the chiplet measures 25.46 mm (width) × 33 mm (height), which means that its die size is around 840 mm2, which is very close to the reticle size of EUV lithography systems (858 mm2). Given that the quality of the shot is poor, the die size we estimate cannot be 100% accurate, but we suspect it is close enough.
The die size of Jalapeño's compute chiplet implies that it packs quite a lot of compute oomph, though, of course, we cannot make performance estimates based on this metric. Yet, it is safe to say that Jalapeño's compute die is considerably bigger than compute dies of other inference accelerators on the market and more resembles processors for AI training. Speaking of processors for AI training, we increasingly see multi-chiplet designs for these workloads as companies like AMD and Nvidia want to pack as much performance as possible. Meanwhile, the fact that OpenAI and Broadcom chose to go with a large compute chiplet possibly indicates that they wanted to reduce latencies by as much as possible.
Designed in nine months
The companies say the chip reached tape-out in just nine months and is slated for deployment beginning in late 2026, which represents an extremely fast turnaround time in ASIC design. It is unclear whether Broadcom and OpenAI extensively used artificial intelligence to define and then develop Jalapeño, though the companies admitted that they used OpenAI's models to speed up parts of the chip's design and optimization work. Typically, it takes 1.5 – 2 years to design an ASIC from scratch, so AI can shrink the development cycle. Another means to accelerate the design cycle is Broadcom's extensive reuse of its logic across different custom designs to deliver new chips faster than other companies.
It is noteworthy that, according to the announcement, Jalapeño is designed to support not only OpenAI's own workloads but also present and future LLMs across the industry, which potentially lets OpenAI sell its hardware to third parties, assuming that it can get enough supply from Broadcom and TSMC. Meanwhile, the chief executive of Broadcom indicates that Jalapeño will be deployed at gigawatt-scale data centers with Microsoft and other partners starting this year, though it is unclear whether the processor will be used exclusively for OpenAI workloads or will be available for other tenants as well.
"Our collaboration with OpenAI represents a fundamental commitment to scaling the physical infrastructure required for the next decade of AI," said Hock Tan, President and CEO, Broadcom. "This is just the beginning of a multi-generation roadmap. By co-developing our industry-leading silicon directly with OpenAI, we are enabling the deployment of gigawatt-scale data centers with Microsoft and other partners beginning in 2026."
PC building during the RAMpocalypse and NANDpocalypse is challenging, to be sure, but you can still put together a great and relatively affordable box that will last during Prime Day thanks to abundant deals on core components. Yes, memory and SSDs are pricey, but we can dull some of the pain with deep discounts elsewhere.
For a $1000 budget, we've put together a great 1080p gaming PC with a 10-core Core i5-12600KF CPU and an RTX 5060 Ti 8GB graphics card for the best 1080p bang-for-the-buck you can find (and an RX 9060 XT 16GB alternative for $100 more if 8GB is a bridge too far).
Yes, the Core i5-12600KF is getting up there in years, and its P-cores lack the extra L2 of 13th and 14th Gen CPUs, but it boasts higher clocks and a higher TDP than non-K 13th and 14th-gen parts for better multi-threaded performance. For this low price, we'll deal.
Crucially, this PC still features 32GB of RAM for no-worries gaming with the latest titles and 1TB of storage for adequate room for files and games. Cheaper prebuilts might include just 16GB of RAM and a claustrophobia-inducing 512GB SSD. This is a PC that will last, and that matters in today's tight market.
The RTX 5060 Ti 8GB is selling for less than the slower RTX 5060 8GB right now, so you may as well take the free performance boost if you were only going with an 8GB card to begin with. The 5060 Ti gives you access to leading DLSS 4.5 upscaling across a huge swath of games, as well as MFG in titles that don't overrun its VRAM.
On top of the 5060 Ti 8GB's much higher baseline performance than the Steam Machine's GPU, DLSS 4.5 is a secret weapon for this build, thanks to its far superior image quality versus FSR on top of its AI-powered performance boost.
A quality Cooler Master case and 80 Plus Gold power supply make this a 1080p gaming build you (or a lucky kid or family member) can depend on for a long time to come.
$1,000 Prime Day gaming PC
Intel's Core i5-12600KF gives us 10 cores (6 P-cores + 4 E-cores) for multi-threaded work and offers peak single-core clocks of up to 4.9 GHz. Crucially, it lets us use DDR4 memory, too. View Deal
I've personally paired the Thermalright Assassin X 120 Refined SE cooler with an i5-12600KF, so I can attest that it keeps that CPU cool and quiet for under $20. View Deal
The Asus B760M-AYW is one of the few new LGA 1700 DDR4 boards you can get, and for this budget build, it offers everything we need and nothing we don't, including a Wi-Fi 6 radio. Get $10 off with promo code FTTF345. View Deal
32GB of RAM is one of our no-compromise positions for a PC that will last versus one that's just cheap. You can still get 32GB of DDR4 for relatively low prices, and this Silicon Power kit does the job. View Deal
NAND is in short supply right now, so prices are high, but this Silicon Power UD90 SSD still gives us Gen 4 speeds at a reasonable cost per gigabyte. View Deal
We would normally put a plain RTX 5060 in a $1000 build right now, but RTX 5060 Ti 8GB cards are 15% faster at 1080p and are selling for less than those slower cards. You need to apply the on-page promo code and redeem a mail-in rebate for the lowest cost here. View Deal
If you want the added longevity of 16GB of memory, AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT is the only attainable way to go. It offers similar performance to the 5060 Ti and that all-important 16GB of GDDR6 for about $100 more. View Deal
Cooler Master's MasterBox Q300L is a longtime microATX favorite for cheap builds thanks to its good airflow and fun styling. View Deal
ASRock's Pro Series 750W PSU is a great fit for this build, offering both eight-pin PCIe connectors and a 12V-2x6 cable for potential future upgrades. It's efficient, reliable, and cheap, and we can't ask for more. View Deal
All those parts should add up to about $1014.85. If you're seeing higher totals in your cart, make sure to apply every available promo code and redeem every mail-in rebate you see to get the lowest possible prices during these Prime Day sales. Happy building!
With the cost of building a PC continuing to go up, you start to look elsewhere for ways to upgrade your setup. One of the best ways you can do that is with a high-quality pair of the best PC speakers, and some of our favorite options are on sale with deep discounts for Prime Day.
Regardless of whether you want to finally stop using your monitor's junky built-in speakers or an open-space alternative to headphones, a solid pair of speakers can elevate your setup, for games, movies, and of course, music. We have a handful of options here that are on sale for Prime Day, ranging from budget 2.0 setups to 7.1 surround sound systems.
The Creative Labs Pebble V2 is a set of stereo speakers that connect to your PC via USB and feature a minimalist design. View Deal
Starting on the budget end, the Creative Pebble V2 speakers are just $26 for Prime Day. We've looked at the higher-powered Pebble Pro set, which also features some modern trimmings like Bluetooth at a much higher price of $60. The Pebble V2 speakers feature an older driver, but they're the same size.
Sound quality isn't the best, but it's far better than what you get out of monitor speakers, which is the most you can ask for out of a $26 pair of speakers.
The G2000 speakers from Edifier come with a peak power raing of 32W and a frequency response of 98 Hz up to 22 kHz, along with analog and Bluetooth connections. View Deal
Stepping up in price and quality, we have the Edifier G2000 speakers, which currently rank as our best 2.0 speaker set for gaming. You get just the two satellite speakers, but they include a connection for a subwoofer to fill out the low-end down the line.
The speakers are mainly tuned for gaming, emphasizing the lows and deprioritizing the mids, so they aren't the best for listening to music. Still, Edifier offers a lot to like with the G2000, especially below $100, including 3.5mm and Bluetooth connections, along with a generous 32W peak power rating.
The Edifier M60 speakers feature a 3-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter, as well as 66W of total output across the four drivers. View Deal
Edifier's M60 speakers turn everything up compared to the G2000, sporting a larger 3-inch driver along with a 1-inch tweeter to round out the high-end. Combined with a higher 66W power rating, the M60s are a more well-rounded set of speakers, with tuning that works better for movies and music.
The speakers also feature 3.5mm and Bluetooth connectivity, along with USB-C. We've linked the white color above, but the black and oak finishes are on sale for Prime Day, as well.
These 4-inch 50-watt speakers look great and come with angled desktop stands, and can connect to your PC and just about everything else. Features include Bluetooth as well as 3.5mm AUX, HDMI ARC, USB-C, line/phono, and optical connections. View Deal
For a slightly higher-end sound all around, you can go with the Onkyo GX-30ARC speakers, which feature larger 4-inch woofers. We gave the speakers high marks in our Onkyo GX-30ARC review on the back of excellent sound quality for the price, not to mention plentiful connection options.
In addition to USB-C, Bluetooth, and 3.5mm analog connections, the speakers support optical, RCA, and even HDMI connection with ARC. Onkyo includes some plastic stands in the box, as well, angling the speakers up toward your ears for the most direct sound.
The Audioengine A2+ speakers feature real wooden cabinets, a 24-bit DAC, and connections for Bluetooth, USB-C, RCA, and 3.5mm analog. View Deal
The edifier M60s are a clone of the Audioengine A2+ speakers. If you want the real thing, you're in luck because the white color is on sale for $223, while the red version is down to just $209.
Audioengine comes out ahead with more premium build quality, including real wood cabinets and a 24-bit DAC (digital-to-analog converter) built into the speakers. You get plenty of connection options, as well, including Bluetooth, RCA, 3.5mm, and USB-C, along with a subwoofer expansion port.
These booming speakers bring 5.1 surround to your PC in a big way. They have wireless connectivity for the rear speakers, a lifesaver, and built-in lighting that spruces up your room. This 280W (peak) system also has a full-featured software suite to tailor it to your needs. View Deal
If you want to go all-out, you can save on the SteelSeries Area 9 surround kit. The set currently ranks as our best 5.1 surround speakers, combining a center channel with four satellite speakers and a 6.5-inch down-firing subwoofer. The subwoofer helps fill out the sound a lot, especially compared to the cheaper options above.
This is a true surround sound system, so it naturally pairs best with true surround sound sources. A lot of games only feature stereo sound, but thankfully, the Arena 9s can convert stereo audio into faux surround sound.
Despite disagreements over trade policies with China, the U.S. and the Netherlands have signed the European nation to the Pax Silica initiative of countries looking to reduce reliance on China for key raw materials and manufacturing expertise in the AI industry, as reported by Reuters. With the Netherlands playing host to the key supply chain company, ASML, Europe's largest tech company, and the most advanced manufacturing of cutting-edge photolithography machines for semiconductor fabrication, this is a big strategic win for the U.S.-led initiative.
Dutch Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma travelled to Washington this week to sign the deal, meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and fellow lawmakers as part of ongoing negotiations around trade in high-tech chips and hardware, particularly with China.
Speaking with reporters, he said that the U.S. and the Netherlands have shared goals in preventing sensitive technology from ending up in dangerous hands - the Netherlands famously seized key Dutch chip manufacturer Nexperia from its Chinese parent company, Wingtech, in 2025. However, he also raised concerns over American legislation that would make it difficult for companies like ASML to even service machines and tools already delivered to countries like China.
That could affect the Netherlands' national security and market position of key Dutch companies, he said.
Pax Silica - Speremus ut diu duret
The Pax Silica, or "Silicon Peace" initiative, was set up in December 2025 by the U.S. Department of State as a direct plan to reduce reliance on China and to build more robust, Western-aligned supply chains for key elements in the semiconductor, AI, and rare-earth element industries. At its outset, Pax Silica secured non-binding signatures from seven countries, including Australia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. They were joined in the months that followed by Greece, Qatar, the UAE, India, Sweden, Finland, the Philippines, and Norway.
Canada and Taiwan have both been invited to join and are said to be participating in summit sessions, but haven't officially signed just yet. The Netherlands did effectively join in December 2025, but was described as a "non-signing partner" in the initiative.
There are ongoing disputes between the U.S. and the Netherlands over whether ASML should be allowed to service and sell less advanced chip fabrication machines to China, while still restricting access to the latest tools.
Those discussions are reportedly still ongoing and were brought up in the meeting between Lutnick and Sjoerdsma this week. The Dutch official has been quite frank in his public statements on the Match Act bipartisan bill that would place restrictions on companies supplying to China.
“The Netherlands’ starting point is that every country is responsible for its own laws,” Sjoerdsma said in May, via Reuters.
Under the silicon thumb
A key story in the global race to adopt and supply AI through infrastructure building and rapid development has been access to the raw materials, tools, machines, and expertise required to create it. That's mainly had the United States and China at loggerheads with one another, with the former restricting access to cutting-edge Nvidia GPUs and other semiconductor products, and China rowing back access to its manufacturing and raw material industries.
But while that's acted as a tit-for-tat backdrop to U.S. and Chinese trade relations and particularly the mercurial needs and demands of President Trump, the divestment of global supply chains from traditional Chinese sources has spread globally. Nexperia was one key Dutch entity that was brought back in-house from Chinese owners, and in June 2025, Taiwanese firm Pegatron announced new production facilities in Mexico and the U.S. to move away from reliance on China.
The U.S. has also been trying to restrict China's access to high-tech hardware for a number of years. President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act in 2019, which effectively banned Chinese firms Huawei and ZTE from being used in any U.S. government agencies. Both companies were later designated as threats to national security in 2020. Under the Biden administration, the U.S. implemented a new series of export controls in 2022 to constrain China's ability to accelerate its high-technology and chip manufacturing industries.
But in 2026, even as the U.S. has approved the sale of some high-end Nvidia chips to China, its new Pax Silica Initiative and MATCH Act are putting more pressure on China than ever before, and global partners aren't entirely happy about it.
Under the bill, foreign-owned companies like ASML that don't comply with the restrictions on business dealings with China could find themselves losing access to U.S. components, software, or customers. Although the world still needs ASML - it's one of the tightest bottlenecks in the global chip supply chain - becoming part of the Pax Silica initiative could prove paramount for advanced economies wanting to make the most of advances in AI and chip fabrication.
Although Dutch officials still clearly have reservations about the MATCH Act, it's not clear how much leverage they can have over it, or whether it's possible to ignore its claimed mandates.
Unsteady ground
The Netherlands and other strategically aligned economies with a foothold in the AI supply chain face a tricky situation in 2026. Initiatives like Pax Silica raise the prospect of greater autonomy in the global supply chain, with less reliance on China for key materials, tools, and manufacturing expertise. But that may simply replace one dependency with another, trading exposure to Beijing for greater oversight from Washington, and even coercion if certain controls aren’t adhered to.
For the Dutch, ASML isn’t just a key company. It is one of the world’s most important technology pillars and helps the Netherlands punch well above its weight in global supply-chain politics. Without ASML, manufacturers like Samsung, Micron, and TSMC, and component designers like Nvidia, would not be able to build the cutting-edge hardware they can today. That gives the Netherlands real muscle when pursuing its own interests.
But it also makes ASML a target for legislation that could limit Dutch autonomy and force tighter integration with larger players like the United States, without whose components, software, and market access ASML would struggle.
That tension is unlikely to disappear. Even if the U.S. midterms later this year help leash some of the more turbulent aspects of the Trump administration, they won’t end American ambitions to pull control of the global chip and AI supply chains away from China, and tuck it into Washington’s own catalogue of control.
China's LineShine supercomputer has taken the top spot on the 67th-edition TOP500 list, posting 2.198 exaflops on the High Performance Linpack benchmark and pushing the AMD-powered El Capitan into second place by more than 20%. The system, installed at the National Supercomputing Centre in Shenzhen (NSCS) and built by the Shenzhen Cloud Computing Center, used no GPUs or accelerators of any kind, and reached the figure with 13,789,440 cores of domestically designed silicon, the first machine on the list to clear two exaflops of double-precision performance on CPUs alone. It’s also the first China-based system to lead the TOP500 since Sunway TaihuLight in 2017.
The fact that a sanctioned country has managed to build an exascale flagship without a single Western accelerator is one thing, but what’s more telling is that China has decided to put it on the list. For years, its fastest machines have stayed off the rankings entirely, and the decision to submit a chart-topper now is a deliberate change of posture.
A domestic stack from core to OS
LineShine is built on what NSCS calls the LingKun platform. Each of its 20,480 compute nodes carries two LX2 processors, Armv9-based parts with 304 cores running at 1.55 GHz, organized as eight clusters of 38 cores. Every core includes Arm's Scalable Vector Extension and Scalable Matrix Extension units covering FP64, FP32, BF16, FP16, and INT8.
Each of those LX2s pairs 32 GB of on-package HBM rated at up to 4 TB/s with as much as 256 GB of off-package DDR5, an arrangement that’s closer to Fujitsu's A64FX in Japan's Fugaku than to a conventional server CPU. Nodes are tied together by the proprietary LingQi interconnect, and the machine runs the homegrown Kylin OS.
It’s not known who designs the LX2 — NSCS names no vendor — but Jon Peddie Research has attributed the chip to Huawei, and the project's pilot phase reportedly ran on Huawei Kunpeng servers. The fabrication node and foundry are likewise unconfirmed. SMIC's 7nm-class process is the obvious domestic candidate by elimination, given that EUV tooling and TSMC capacity are both off the table, but nobody has documented the part to date.
Not an AI crown
LineShine also took first on HPCG, the test that rewards memory- and communication-bound workloads closer to real scientific code, at 22.00 petaflops. But on HPL-MxP, the mixed-precision benchmark that approximates AI training math, it came in only fourth at 7.92 exaflops, a 3.6 times uplift over its FP64 score.
In other words, the accelerator-based machines it beat on Linpack pull far ahead the moment precision drops. Per the TOP500 announcement, El Capitan posts 16.7 exaflops on HPL-MxP, a 9.2 times jump over its standard result, with Aurora and Frontier showing similar multipliers. Reduced-precision throughput is exactly where GPUs and APUs separate from CPUs, and LineShine has nowhere to hide it.
We can see similar issues cropping up in terms of power. LineShine draws 42,220 kW and returns 52.07 gigaflops per watt on its Linpack run. That beats Intel’s Aurora comfortably but trails El Capitan's 60.94 gigaflops per watt, so LineShine produces more total FP64 output than the Livermore system while burning roughly 42% more power to do it.
It’s worth holding onto this distinction because the TOP500 ranking is decided on FP64 Linpack, the one regime where a wide, HBM-fed CPU can still go toe-to-toe with accelerators. LineShine is a genuine double-precision champion, but it’s not a world-leading AI training machine, and its fourth-place HPL-MxP result says so.
So, why did China submit it?
China stopped submitting its fastest systems to the TOP500 around 2021, after a run of entity-list additions hit Sunway's Wuxi center and Sugon. The community has long believed that the country operated exascale hardware well before this entry: the Sunway successor OceanLight and the NUDT-built Tianhe-3 both appeared via Gordon Bell Prize science papers without ever appearing on the list. TOP500 co-founder Jack Dongarra has said for years that Chinese researchers told him they weren’t permitted to submit, and that omissions were about avoiding U.S. attention rather than any lack of capability.
Last June's list, which AMD topped while Chinese HPC remained absent, was especially conspicuous, but putting LineShine forward now reverses that. It has been reported that the system was developed without public funding, which lowers the political exposure of disclosing it, and the all-domestic design means there’s no dependency on Western parts for Washington to choke off after the fact.
Addison Snell, chief executive of HPC analyst firm Intersect360 Research, told Reuters he wasn’t surprised by the performance but by the disclosure itself, noting the surprise was that China submitted the result and wanted recognition for it. Ultimately, submitting a number-one system that runs entirely on indigenous parts is a statement that the sanctions regime hasn’t closed the gap China cares about.
AMD still dominates
The top of the list might have changed hands, but the bulk of it hasn’t. The U.S. still dominates with three of the top five in El Capitan (1.809 exaflops), Frontier (1.353 exaflops), and Aurora (1.012 exaflops), and Germany's JUPITER Booster remains the first and only European exascale system at an even 1.000 exaflops.
AMD’s silicon underpins most of the accelerated field with the company, per its own blog, now powering 191 systems on the list, up 11% year over year, and 41% of this edition's new entries. It holds three top-10 slots — El Capitan, Frontier, and the newly deployed HPC7 at Italian energy firm Eni — and contributes more than 40% of combined top-10 Linpack performance. On efficiency, it powers 56% of the top 50 Green500 systems, and its first Instinct MI355X deployments, two Cambridge Zenith systems in the UK, entered at positions 67 and 68.
None of that is dented by LineShine, not least because the two aren’t competing for the same workload. AMD’s MI300A and MI355X parts are built for mixed-precision AI arithmetic, where LineShine places fourth, and the rest of the Western labs are optimizing for that, not FP64 leaderboard positions.
El Capitan, Frontier, and Aurora all post HPL-MxP scores several times their Linpack results, enabled by hardware that LineShine doesn’t have. So, while it’s true the TOP500 crown moved to Shenzen, it did so on a benchmark that Western labs are no longer chasing with their fastest machines.
This box o' antennas counts a total of six signal emitters, enough to cover most U.S. households. TP-Link says the array should provide Wi-Fi signals over four bedrooms, but we figure that's a conservative estimate for wooden constructions. The speeds can go up to a combined 9.3 Gbps, split between 5.8 Gbps over the 6 GHz band (Wi-Fi 7), 2.9 Gbps on 5 GHz, and 574 Mbps on good ol' 2.4 GHz. It's worth noting that on recent phones and tablets, the router's Multi-Link Operation will let a device use both 6 GHz and 5 GHz bands simultaneously.
All-time low price
The TP-Link Archer BE550 router packs six antennas capable of pushing up to 9.3 Gbps across the air waves, as well as a complement of five 2.5 Gbps LAN ports — enough to future-proof most any home setup.View Deal
The goodies don't stop there, either. While most modern routers have just the one higher-speed Ethernet wired port, the Archer BE550 comes with a full complement of 2.5 Gbps connectors — one for the Internet connection, and four for LAN devices. Since most PC motherboards in the past few years have 2.5 Gbps or 5 Gbps ports, this router lets you take full advantage of them. More than a few techies buy their own switches for this purpose, and this router obviates that expense and annoyance.
Additional niceties include most you'd expect in a modern Wi-Fi 7 router: support for multiple types of VPN servers, a USB port for sharing a hard drive on the network, mesh network capabilities, per-device QoS (ex, for prioritizing gaming devices), tagged VLANs, and many others. Get the TP-Link Archer BE550 for just $149.99 at Amazon.
While you can't buy Secretlab's gaming chairs or desks on Amazon, you can buy them in the company's July 4 sales event, which kicked off this week and promises to gatecrash Amazon Prime Week.
Right now, you can score up to $129 off Secretlab's Titan Evo chair and Magnus gaming desk range. These are some of the most popular gaming chairs on the market.
Secretlab's gaming range is designed with comfort and gamer aesthetic in mind. All of their products have a pretty striking aesthetic and premium build quality. Naturally, they're also normally very expensive, which is why a sales event like this is not to be missed.
Secretlab Gaming Chair Deals
This Secretlab Titan Evo comes with the company's trademarked NEO Hybrid Leatherette, which is made to give a soft leather feel that is also durable. View Deal
Secretlab's popular Titan Evo gaming chair is available in a variety of sizes, materials, and colors. Choose between a hybrid leather or softweave fabric covering. A cold-cure foam pebble seat is designed to provide all-day comfort for gaming or work when sitting at your computer. 4D armrests, magnetic headrest, lumbar support, and height adjustment let you customize your seating position.
The Secretlab Titan Evo is available in Small, Regular, and XL sizes. View Deal
Secretlab's latest gaming chair innovation introduces NanoGen to the popular and successful Titan Evo range of gaming chairs. Featuring the same luxury features of the standard Titan Evo, such as 4D armrest, 4-Way L-Adapt lumbar support, and shaped pebble seat, the new Titan Evo Nanogen uses a new soft and durable hybrid leatherette and nanofoam composite. View Deal
Another themed chair, this time for Final Fantasy XIV fans, in the Neo Hybrid Leatherette fabric. Other variations include Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Assassins Creed, and more, all with Small, Medium, and XL size options.View Deal
I've been using Secretlab chairs since 2019, and I have to say they're some of the most comfortable and durable chairs I've ever sat on. They're all really easy to build and put together, and they all exude a bombproof build quality.
Secretlab Memorial Day Sale Gaming Desk Deals
Secretlab's flagship standing desk with its latest NanoGen and Magpad tech. It features an integrated power supply column to power your kit with a single cable, a well-hidden (but still accessible) cable management tray, and precision electric height adjustments via a built-in control panel.View Deal
This desk measures 59.1”(L) x 27.6”(W), and is also available in 70.0”(L) x 31.5”(W) if you want something a little larger. This desk is designed to look clean and tidy, with built-in cable management and the power supply hidden in the desk's leg column. The height range goes from 25.5" to 49.2," with the surface being able to use swappable magnetic (Magpad) desk pads in a variety of designs. View Deal
Secretlab's gaming desks all come with a unique integrated control unit that you can use to set the height of the desk. The intervals are precise, and there are profiles so you can save a number of different adjustments. They also have a unique magnetic ecosystem, the desks are entirely magnetic so you can use lots of different magnetic cable tidies, headphone mounts, and desk accessories, as sold by Secretlab, you can see some below.
Secretlab Memorial Day Sale Desk Accessories
This Secretlab Magnus monitor arm is a low-cost upgrade to your office or gaming setup. It will help you to free up your desk from unnecessarily large monitor stands while also providing you with a full range of adjustable positions for the most ergonomic seating position.View Deal
The Secretlab Lumbar Pillow Pro adds extra support and cushioning to your lower back, helping you to reduce fatigue from long gaming sessions in your Secretlab chair. Working in conjunction with the proprietary L-Adapt lumbar support system, this pillow mixes comfortable memory foam with a layer of cooling gel to help dissipate heat. View Deal
Add some extra leg support to your Secretlab chair with this chair addon. Select the correct size and fit for your Secretlab chair and add extra posture support options. The ergonomic recliner simply snaps onto your chair with a toolless installation.View Deal
A Secretlab-branded floor mat will help you to protect hard flooring from damage from the chairs' casters. This mat is designed with a felt upper and a non-slip underlay. View Deal
Don't let an uncomfortable armrest spoil the fun. These Secretlab PlushCell armrest tops magnetically snap onto your Titan Evo gaming chair armrests, providing your arms and wrists with pillow-like softness, thanks to their memory foam construction.View Deal
This Secretlab MAGRGB lighting strip includes 123 individually controllable LEDs that you can control via the Nanoleaf app on your smartphone. This is lighting fit for any gamer's smart home and features embedded magnets for easy attachment to a Secretlab desk.View Deal
Secretlab Memorial Day Sale Skins Deals
Secretlab lets you either decorate or protect your chair with a new cover, or "skin," as it's called. You can change the color of your chair, or get skins with designs from your favorite games or TV shows. There are plenty of different choices for you to browse through. View Deal
A pebble-shaped memory foam cushion on a highly adjustable stand, for turning your gaming chair into an even more relaxing seat. View Deal
Mini PC specialist Geekom has a ton of Amazon Prime Day deals with a multitude of diminutive computers with discounts as deep as 34% off. Among the plethora of discounts, we're pleased to also have a special stacking discount code for last year's flagship Geekom A9 Max with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, slicing a further 8% off this already discounted, sturdy, premium aluminum build mini PC.
This A9 Max (2025) 'Strix Point' model features a Zen 5 architecture CPU with 12C/24T, plus Radeon 890M graphics on board. The system comes complete with 32GB DDR5, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro. Originally priced at $1,399.00, the Prime Day sale reduces it to $1,189.15, and our exclusive Tom's Hardware discount code (8% off code: THA9MAX26) slices another 8% off, resulting in a checkout price of $1,094.
Use our 8% off code: THA9MAX26 for this deeper discount
This sturdy aluminum-encased Geekom A9 Max (2025) comes with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 'Strix Point' processor, backed by 32GB DDR5, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro.View Deal
For those who insist on the latest silicon, Geekom has also put its A9 MAX 2026 Edition on sale at 21% off. That means this fresh Ryzen flagship, which has been upgraded to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470, is reduced from $1,699 to $1,349. Remember, this has 32GB DDR5 RAM and with a 2TB pre-installed SSD it offers double the storage capacity of its predecessor in the deal above. We have one of these 'Gorgon Point' mini PCs in the labs now, and hope to be able to share the review with your shortly.
Geekom's newly released AI flagship mini PC is already discounted for Prime Day
This sturdy aluminum-encased Geekom A9 Max (2026) comes with the AMD's refreshed Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 'Gorgon Point' processor, backed by 32GB DDR5, a roomy 2TB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro.View Deal
Both of those machines are above $1,000, but Geekom has cheaper mini PCs on sale for Prime Day, as well. For a barebones systems, the Geekom A5 with the Ryzen 5 7430U, 16GB of user-upgradable memory, and a 512GB NVMe SSD.
Digging deeper in the Prime Day bargain bin, we also spotted the Geekom A5, which promises to do everything from "business, home server, creative work & casual gaming." It is listed at 14% off for Prime day cutting its price from $439 to a far more attractive $371. In tech specs terms, so you can judge use-case claims for yourself, this 200kg pressure-rated NUC-a-like mini PC packs an AMD Ryzen 5 7430U APU which features Zen 3 cores in a 6C/12T config plus Radeon Vega 7 graphics. It also comes with 16GB DDR4 RAM installed (expandable to 64GB), and a 512GB NVMe SSD (expandable with an extra M.2 2242 slot and room for a 2.5-inch SATA drive).
The Geekom A5 features a Ryzen 5 7430U processor, 512GB of user-upgradable storage, and 16GB of DDR5 memory. View Deal
The PC is on sale for just $371, which is shocking considering it still comes with an all-metal frame. In addition, it comes with an extra M.2 2242 slot to expand your storage, along with a 2.5-inch SATA bay.
For a bit more power, the Geekom AX8 comes with a newer Ryzen 7 8745HS processor, along with 16GB of DDR5 and a 1TB SSD (plus a sleek blue finish on the metal chassis).
The Geekom AX8 comes with a Ryzen 7 8745HS processor, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and 1TB of user-upgradable storage.View Deal
We also remember when mini PCs used to be a great niche for finding real bargains, and hunters of such rarities can still get perfectly serviceable mini PCs from Geekom under $600 during the ongoing RAMpocalypse if they aren't averse to older silicon.
For example, the Geekom A8 Mini PC with AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS processor, 16GB DDR5 RAM (upgradable), 1TB NVMe SSD, and Windows 11 Pro is currently 15% off at $585.65 via that Amazon Prime Day link. Though slightly older, the AMD APU in this still offers Zen 4 CPU cores in a 8C/16T configuration, and Radeon 780M graphics. Most buyers won't miss the absence of an NPU.
As with the A5, you can upgrade your RAM and storage with the AX8.
Above are our five picks from the spectrum of mini PCs that Geekom has put on sale for Prime Day. However, we didn't even mention any of the firm's Intel models, like the passive Geekom iX 12, on sale for 15% off at $296, which is designed to bring mini PC power to home lab VPN, firewall, virtualization, and edge computing applications.
If you ever travel with your laptop, want to game on a console in places where you don't have access to a TV, or just want a second (or third) screen for your desk, a portable monitor is a must-have. And with many screens at all-time lows, veering into impulse-buy territory (this 15-inch model is incredibly $39), there's never been a better time to pick one up.
But how do you know what to buy when there are dozens of brands (especially on the low end) that you've probably never heard of (I haven't, and I've covered tech for 20 years)? Below are a few quick portable monitor shopping tips, followed by four of our favorite current deals.
LCD, IPS, or OLED? OLED is the best in terms of color saturation and deep blacks, but it costs much more. IPS has better viewing angles than lesser screen technologies, and is becoming the standard even on budget screens. So you should stick to IPS or OLED at this point.
Get a monitor with a kickstand. Most portable monitors still have floppy folding covers that double as stands. I've had a screen with one for years and it's awful. A rigid kickstand that's attached to the back and swings out will make you want to use your monitor more often and in more places. All of our deal picks below have kickstands.
Pay attention to brightness. This spec is often buried on product pages, but it matters a lot, especially if you use the monitor in bright spaces. If using it with your laptop, try and get something that is close to the brightness of that screen. You don't want a washed-out second display.
Get a cover or sleeve. Since these screens have a kickstand, they likely don't come with a protective cover. But you'll certainly one something to at least protect the screen while traveling. So budget in some extra money to protect your second-screen investment.
This 16-inch IPS portable monitor sports a 1920 x 1200 resolution, a built-in kickstand, is just 0.3 inches thick and weighs 1.58 pounds. You'll want to get a case for it, but this is a great screen for productivity on the go.View Deal
The VE-1 isn't the cheapest deal of this bunch, but I'd argue it's the biggest bargain. It's a little larger than most, thanks to its 16:10 display, which also gives it more pixels for getting work done. It's also rated to 300 nits of brightness and is slim and light for travel. It also comes in different colors for a few dollars more. I like this deal so much that I bought one in late 2024 to replace my aging portable monitor from 2018.
Better for movies and games: Arzopa A1 15.6-inch portable monitor
This 1080p, portable monitor connects via HDMI or USB-C and has a built-in kickstand.View Deal
This glossy FHD model is better for movie watching and games, as it's 16:9 and has a glossy screen. I couldn't find a brightness spec for the A1, but most of the over 1,100 reviews on Amazon seem to be happy with its brightness. It's also light at just 1.6 pounds.
The sub-$40 budget king: WGK W156F1
This 15.6-inch matte IPS screen sports a 1080p resolution, two USB-C ports, Mini HDMI, plus a built-in kickstand and two screw holes on the back for VESA mounting. While not technically on sale, $39 is shockingly cheap. And we know for a fact this model was selling for over $80 a couple of years ago, because we covered it then when it was on sale for $59.View Deal
This screen has a few things going for it, other than its shockingly low price. It has a kickstand and VESA mounts so you can attach it to an arm. It also sports a matte screen, which is better for work and for use under bright lights. Don't believe the spurious claims of HDR and surround sound from the tiny speakers. But for the price, this portable screen is a steal.
The OLED champ: Innocn 15A1F
This 15.6-inch OLED monitor delivers brilliant colors and contrast, and is rated for 400 nits of brightness. While it sadly lacks a kickstand, it does come with a protective sleeve that also functions as a stand.View Deal
Yes, the Innocn 15K1F is more than $100 more expensive than some other deals here. But it's also OLED, for deep blacks and vibrant colors, with a rated 400-nits of brightness that puts it ahead of most portable monitor competition.
If you're a photo or video editor on the go or you just want a screen that will look good next to your laptop's OLED display, which also doesn't cost a lot, this is one of the best options we've seen so far this Prime Day. The main downside seems to be that this model lacks a kickstand, so you'll have to use the included wrap-around sleeve as a stand, and those tend to be fiddly or flimsy (and sometimes both).
microSD Express cards are quite expensive, but they’re the only solution if you want to expand the storage on your Nintendo Switch 2. So, if you’re looking to play more games on your console, now is your chance to score a 512GB Samsung P9 microSD Express for $80 off at B&H. This is a massive 40% discount from the card’s original $199.99 price, meaning you can get it for just $119.99. However, you must act fast as this is a limited-time deal valid only for today. If you miss out on the B&H deal or don’t need that much extra storage, the 256GB version of the Samsung P9 is also on sale at Amazon. You’ll get an even bigger 50% discount, slashing the price of the microSD Express card from $79.99 to just $39.99 — that’s a savings of $40 if you get it today.
The Switch 2 is Nintendo’s next-generation handheld console, and while it received upgraded hardware that delivered better performance, its on-board storage is a measly 256GB. So, if you want to play several AAA titles, you really need to install external storage. Unfortunately, it requires microSD Express cards if you want to play games directly from the storage expansion slot, and they’re quite pricey. This is especially true since we’re in the middle of the worst memory and storage chip crisis in history, which is now affecting even memory cards and flash drives. So, if you’re in the market for a storage upgrade on your handheld console but the prices seem out of reach, you should take this limited opportunity to get a microSD Express card at a steep discount.
$80 coupon added in cart
Give your Switch 2 the storage boost it needs. With fast speeds and respectable endurance, the P9 Express from Samsung is one of the best microSD Express cards you can get.View Deal
Give your Switch 2 the storage boost it needs. With fast speeds and respectable endurance, the P9 Express from Samsung is one of the best microSD Express cards you can get for your Nintendo Switch 2, with maximum sequential read speeds of up to 800 MB/s.View Deal
The Samsung P9 might not be the best of the best microSD express cards for the Nintendo Switch 2 you can get today, but it still ranked as the best 256GB budget card in our testing. And now that it’s on sale, its value proposition just went way up for those who don’t mind waiting a few extra seconds when transferring files and games between their console and storage medium. It even comes with a three-year warranty, which is longer than the usual one-year warranty that other brands give.
These microSD Express cards would go well with these other Switch 2 accessories that are on sale to help you save money while leveling up your handheld console gaming experience. However, note that these are available for a limited time only, so if you’ve decided on getting a 512GB microSD Express card for your Switch 2, head on over to B&H and snag one while it’s available. Alternatively, you can also get the 256GB version at a much more affordable price on Amazon.
TSMC has reportedly told customers to prepare for price increases across its advanced chipmaking portfolio, extending the hikes beyond the newer 3nm process to include 7nm and even legacy products. According to a June 23rd Culpium report, the increases would affect the bulk of TSMC’s wafer revenue and could raise costs for major chip designers, including Apple, Nvidia, AMD, Qualcomm, Broadcom, and MediaTek.
The exact size of the increases remains unclear, as figures would reportedly vary by customer, node, and product category, but generally appear to fall in the 5% to 10% range. TSMC price increases have reportedly already started rolling out in some cases, while other customers have been told to build the higher cost structure into future purchase orders.
The company declined to discuss specific pricing with Culpium. “TSMC does not comment on pricing. Our pricing strategy is strategic, not opportunistic,” the company said in a statement to the publication. “We will continue to work closely with customers and sell our value to them.” Although the company had earlier said it would refrain from raising prices.
Earlier reports from Taiwanese media had mainly pointed to increases at TSMC’s 3nm node, one of its most advanced processes currently used for premium smartphones, PC, and AI chips, with price pressure also expected at the newest 2nm-class production. However, Culpium reports that TSMC has informed clients that “all advanced nodes” will become more expensive, meaning the hikes would extend beyond 3nm and 2nm to include older but still advanced processes such as 5nm and 7nm.
3nm alone accounted for 25% of TSMC’s wafer revenue in the first quarter of 2026, while the company’s full advanced-node portfolio — defined by TSMC as 7nm and more advanced technologies — accounted for 74% of wafer revenue. Therefore, the hikes would span nearly three-quarters of the company’s wafer business.
The inclusion of 7nm is especially notable because the node is no longer TSMC’s flagship technology. However, it's not exactly surprising as 7nm remains heavily used across processors, accelerators, networking silicon, and other high-performance chips. Many products remain on older, more advanced nodes because they offer better cost, yield, and maturity than the newest processes, especially when a design does not require the density or efficiency gains of 3nm or 2nm.
The client notices follow weeks of public comments from TSMC executives suggesting that higher prices were at least under consideration. At the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting in Hsinchu on June 4, CEO C.C. Wei said customers remained positive on the AI demand outlook, while also acknowledging cost pressures and the widening gap between chip demand and available manufacturing capacity. CFO Wendell Huang also said earlier that TSMC did not rule out price increases as inflation, overseas expansion, and advanced manufacturing costs continue to rise.
The timing of the price increases reflects TSMC’s strong negotiating position. The company remains the dominant manufacturer of leading-edge logic chips, and its most advanced capacity is in high demand among AI accelerator vendors, smartphone chip designers, and custom ASIC developers. With customers competing for access to the same manufacturing lines, TSMC has more room to pass on rising costs than it would in a weaker cycle.
The move also comes as TSMC benefits from a surge in AI-related demand. In its first-quarter results, the company reported $35.9 billion in revenue and a 66.2% gross margin, both supported by strong demand for high-performance computing and advanced-node production. TSMC has also raised its 2026 revenue growth target to more than 30%, with capital spending expected to remain elevated as the company expands capacity in Taiwan, the U.S., Japan, and Germany. The company’s Arizona manufacturing capacity has been sold out through 2027 since early 2025.
The reported increases are still far smaller than the recent price spikes seen in the memory market, where AI-driven demand for HBM and other high-end memory products has allowed suppliers to push through much steeper increases. Conversely, TSMC does not need memory-style pricing to meaningfully improve its margins. Because advanced nodes account for most of its wafer revenue, even a mid-single-digit increase across that base could add billions of dollars in annual revenue if demand remains strong.
For chip designers, the immediate impact is a higher manufacturing bill. For consumers, the effect is less direct but still important. A 5% to 10% wafer price increase does not automatically translate into a 5% to 10% increase in the price of a GPU, CPU, smartphone, or laptop, since the wafer is only one part of the final product cost. However, when combined with higher memory prices, packaging constraints, AI demand, and rising manufacturing costs, it creates another reason for device makers and component vendors to raise prices or protect margins by cutting costs elsewhere.
Prime Day 2026 is in full swing with discounts on almost every PC part you can think of. To that end, Logitech wasn’t missing out on the fun and has several of its gaming mice on sale. In fact, there are eight, and many of them with a significant 40% (or more) discount. And the best part, these aren’t affected by the AI boom and memory shortage, so it’s not like the pricing is coming down from unreasonable levels, either.
In short, there's something for almost every gamer in this pile of stellar discounts. Whether you use a claw grip or a palm grip, play FPS, RTS, or other game genres, Logitech has you covered. We've listed all of the Prime Day deals below. If these great deals don’t tickle your fancy, you can look at our Best Amazon Prime Day PC peripherals deals 2026 article for even more options in multiple categories.
Save an incredible 47% and get the Logitech G309 Lightspeed on sale for only $42.50. The G309 connects via Bluetooth or Wireless, uses a Hero 25K DPI sensor, six programmable buttons, and Lightforce mechanical switches.View Deal
The G203 is now on sale for under $19 and is a great option for a budget mouse. It has six programmable buttons, and an 8K DPI optical sensor. There's also a RGB strip that wraps around the backside and shows off the Logitech "G" for a bit of bling.View Deal
The high-end G903 under $86 is one heck of a deal. The wireless mouse uses a Hero 25K DPI sensor, up to 140 hour LiPo battery, and the Lightspeed Wireless technology with 'pro-grade 1ms report rate'. View Deal
Great for gaming and daily work, it uses the Hero 12K DPI sensor with 1,000Hz polling rate along with six programmable buttons. Logitech says battery life is up to 250 hours with 1 AA battery.View Deal
This high-end gaming mouse uses the HERO 2 sensor for a maximum DPI of 44K and an 8K polling rate along with Lightspeed switches. It has eight total programmable buttons, and because it's ambidextrous, it has switchable magnetic side buttons (2 on each side).View Deal
The G502 boasts a 25K Hero sensor, 11 customizable buttons, and a 60-hour LiPo battery. Being wireless it also uses the Lightspeed technology for 1 ms wireless connectivity. View Deal
The G502 X uses Lightforce optical switches, the Hero 25K gaming sensor, 13 buttons, and uses the Lightspeed wireless technology for 1 ms wireless connectivity. View Deal
If you're in the market for a new mouse, these Logitech deals are some of the best we've seen across all major brands. From a $18 budget ditty to a $114 high-end mouse, there's a mouse for you in these deals. You can also check out our Best Amazon Prime Day PC peripherals deals 2026 article for even more options in multiple categories, like mice, keyboards, headset, and more.
SK hynix filed a securities registration statement with South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service and the U.S. SEC on Wednesday to raise up to 45.45 trillion won ($29.43 billion) through an American depositary receipt listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market scheduled for July 10th — and the company said the whole lot would go toward investments in factories and equipment.
The offering covers 17.79 million newly issued common shares and would rank among the largest ADR sales ever completed. SK hynix earmarked the proceeds for its first fab in the Yongin cluster, an advanced packaging plant in Cheongju, and chipmaking equipment that includes EUV scanners.
None of the funded projects will produce memory in time to ease the shortage that’s still driving up prices. SK hynix holds about 57% of the HBM market and 32% of global DRAM, and chairman Chey Tae-won has said repeatedly that AI demand will keep supply tight until 2030.
The filing names three target projects that SK has already committed to and is now financing via public markets. The first fab in the Yongin Semiconductor Cluster, designated Y1, carries a 31 trillion won ($21.5 billion) commitment for its initial phase and is due for completion around February 2027, with equipment installation to follow in the second quarter. The Cheongju P&T7 advanced packaging plant, a 19 trillion won ($12.9 billion) site dedicated to HBM assembly and testing, broke ground in April and should be completed at the end of 2027. EUV lithography is needed in both, and SK hynix placed a record $7.9 billion order with ASML in March covering roughly 30 scanners through 2027.
10 ADRs will represent one common share, with the final per-ADR price to be set through bookbuilding shortly before the July 10th debut, and SK hynix said the total raise could change from the 45.45 trillion won ceiling. BofA Securities, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan are managing the sale, and the regulatory review is expected to conclude by July 3rd, with the new shares registering on the Korea Exchange on July 29th.
Both the Yongin fab and the Cheongju packaging plant reach volume output in 2027, near the back end of that window. The company confirmed the ADR plan in early June alongside a pledge to double wafer capacity within five years, a timeline Chey acknowledged would do little to shorten the squeeze. DRAM contract prices have run higher through 2026 as the three memory makers tilt wafer capacity toward HBM, which consumes around three times the silicon per gigabyte of standard DDR5.
Just two days ago, SK hynix passed Samsung Electronics to become South Korea's most valuable listed company, ending a 26-year run at the top. Its Korea-listed shares rose 5.5% in after-hours trading following the disclosure.
The AI boom has already been responsible for soaring demand and subsequent shortages in the areas of GPUs, computer memory, storage (both spinning and solid-state), electrical power, water, and networking equipment. The latest bottleneck may be the people needed to build the data centers themselves.
Asked by Bloomberg TV whether demand for data center construction was slowing, construction industry CEO Benoit Bazin said activity remains strong, but then identified labor as one of the industry's key bottlenecks. The executive, whose company Saint-Gobain supplies construction materials and building products used in hundreds of such projects, argued that labor shortages are already affecting projects in North America and are beginning to emerge in Europe as well.
Bazin mentioned the issue only in passing during his Bloomberg appearance, but his comments point toward what is becoming an increasingly important challenge for the AI infrastructure boom. The global race to build new computing infrastructure has hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Oracle collectively committing hundreds of billions of dollars toward new facilities, but constructing a modern AI data center requires far more than just money.
AI's demand for power is so great that the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, decomissioned in 2019, is set to reopen to serve Microsoft exclusively. (Image credit: Getty / Bloomberg)
As we've reported many times before, power availability is the primary constraint facing new projects. Electrical substations, transformers, transmission infrastructure, utility connections, and even generation capacity itself are already struggling to keep pace with demand. However, a growing number of executives and analysts now argue, like Bazin, that skilled labor may be emerging as a significant secondary bottleneck.
You see, unlike conventional commercial construction projects, data centers require large numbers of specialized workers. You can't simply rely on standard commercial construction crews for this stuff; you need highly specialized tradesmen, like electricians, high-voltage technicians, fiber-optic installers, HVAC specialists, controls engineers, and commissioning teams, among many others. Huge swaths of these jobs require years of training and experience, making it difficult for the labor pool to expand as quickly as AI investment has ballooned.
The problem has become serious enough that some technology companies have begun funding workforce development efforts directly. Earlier this year, Meta partnered with CBRE on a training initiative intended to help expand the pipeline of workers qualified for data center construction and operations, reflecting concerns that labor shortages could eventually slow deployment schedules.
The effects may already be spilling into other sectors. We recently highlighted how demand from large data center projects has increased competition for electricians in Texas, contributing to delays in some residential housing developments as contractors struggle to compete with the wages and budgets offered by hyperscaler-backed projects. While housing obviously won't be displaced entirely, that story is an example of how AI infrastructure spending is increasingly competing for the same pool of skilled tradespeople needed elsewhere in the economy.
Citizens gather at a rally to oppose the construction of new data centers in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Image credit: Getty Images / Universal Images Group)
Also, labor is only one of several non-technical challenges facing new projects. Public opposition has become increasingly visible in some communities, particularly as residents raise concerns about electricity consumption, water usage, noise, and the broader impact of large-scale data center developments. Looking again to Texas, where numerous projects have been proposed or announced, opposition to new facilities has become a recurring topic of debate. Concerns that once focused primarily on industrial facilities and energy projects are increasingly being directed toward data centers as well.
Demand for new facilities remains strong, and few observers actually expect overall construction activity to slow significantly in the near term, but building the infrastructure required to support the next generation of AI systems means solving a growing list of problems, from power generation and grid capacity to permitting, community opposition, and now, increasingly, workforce shortages. The industry has largely solved the problem of attracting capital. It can order more GPUs, buy more land, and sign larger power contracts. Producing thousands of experienced electricians and technicians, however, takes years. As the global data center boom continues, that shortage may prove to be one of the industry's most stubborn constraints.
Bambu Lab is running a big sale all through the Amazon Prime Day week, meaning you can grab big discounts on its popular line of 3D printers at Amazon for the next few days.
It's also running its big anniversary sale event on its website/. Savings of up to 52% are possible on the best Bambu Lab 3D printers right now, both at its own store and from Amazon. That's important to mention, because we're seeing varied discounts across both sites, thanks to these deals running concurrently.
We're expecting the Prime Day deals to finish by the end of the week, but Bambu Lab's anniversary sale is set to run until July 15, 2026. That doesn't mean it's worth waiting around, however. These are popular printers, and past experience tells us that the best discounts will sell out well before that happens.
If you need or want a new Bambu Lab 3D printer, now is the perfect time. There are record-low prices to take advantage of across the entire Bambu Lab printer family, including deals on the Bambu Lab P1S, P2S, A1, and H2D.
Struggling to decide? Here are the best Bambu Lab Prime Day deals that you can pick up right now. This comes with direct advice on the best 3D printer models, with links to the Bambu Lab printers that we've previously reviewed, where you can read about our full and thorough testing of each printer's performance, which will help you to choose between them.
Bambu Lab Prime Day Deals on 3D Printers
This popular compact printer is solidly built with a full-metal linear rail system and bearings, features full auto calibration, vibration and flow-rate compensation, and compatibility with multi-color AMS accessories. Check out our review of the Bambu Lab A1 mini.
The latest version of the Bambu Lab A1 uses an upgraded heatbed cable with Kevlar reinforcement and thicker insulation for an improved product. Features include full AMS compatibility, full-auto calibration, and a 256x256x256 mm³ build volume. See our review of the Bambu Lab A1 for more details on this 3D printer.
Set the Bambu Lab P1S 3D printer up in 15 minutes and start your printing and maker journey. The P1S is an enclosed printer, making it ideal for high-temperature filament printing. Fast prints are standard thanks to the speedy 20000 mm/s² acceleration limit. Take a look at our review of the Bambu Lab P1S for more information.
A great refresh of the P1S, with a better nozzle, screen, camera, and improved cooling system. This is the new standard to which other 3D printers will be measured.View Deal
Top-of-the-line performance with one of Bambu Lab's flagship 3D printers. Features include touchscreen controls, dual-nozzle printing, a 350mm x 320mm x 325mm build volume, and auto bed levelling, along with full AMS 2 compatibility.
AMS addons (Automatic Material Systems) for Bambu Lab printers unlock the ability to print with multiple different colors in the same price, as well as help with filament drying and storage.
Depending on the 3D printer combination and compatibility, you can link multiple units together, too.
Grab the same Bambu Lab P1S 3D printer as above, but with an AMS included. With AMS stock limited on Bambu Lab's website until August, this might be a good way to get both without waiting for stock to improve.View Deal
A mega saving on the Bambu Lab P1S with the new AMS 2 Pro included. The AMS 2 Pro is a big upgrade, supporting adding a 65°C heated filament dryer, faster motors, new ceramic feed inlets, and more.View Deal
Compatible with Bambu Lab's X1 and P1 series of 3D printers, the AMS - Automatic Material System provides an enclosure for multiple filament spools and also keeps them dry for better printing results. View Deal
Compatible with Bambu Lab's X1 and P1 series of 3D printers, the AMS - Automatic Material System provides an enclosure for multiple filament spools and also keeps them dry for better printing results. Check printer specs to see if additional accessories are needed for compatibility.View Deal
Bambu Lab's AMS lite - Automatic Material System can be matched with Bambu Lab's A1-series of 3D printers for making prints using multiple filament colors. View Deal
Grab the A1 Mini with the AMS Lite add-on. This isn't on sale, but it is cheaper than buying the two separately.View Deal
A single spool attachment for high-performance filaments. Air-tight containment can keep filament moisture-free, or dry filament with its up to 85°C temperature setting. Link them together for multi-color printing. View Deal
Bambu Lab Filament Deals
Filament is a must-buy when you're buying a 3D printer (unless it's a resin printer), as you're going to need the actual material to start printing with. Bambu Lab have discounts on its own range of filament spools right now, with some great bundles on sale for beginners to pick up below.
This starter pack gives you four 1KG PLA (Polylactic Acid) filament spools, in bambu green, jade white, gray, and black colorways. This is one of the more forgiving materials for beginners.View Deal
The same filament as the one above, but in individual 1KG refills, and sold on Amazon. Various colors available.View Deal
If the more basic colors of the classic pack don't appeal, and you're curious to try making your own piece of 3D-printed art, you can choose this CYMK Lithophane bundle. You get four 1KG PLA spools in cyan, yellow, magenta, and jade white to experiment with here.View Deal
A prebuilt gaming PC is one of the easiest ways to get a fully assembled system without the hassles of compatibility and the higher cost of sourcing individual components. If you are on the lookout for a fully assembled gaming PC, the iBuyPower Y40 is selling at a phenomenal value of $1,749 over at Walmart. Originally priced at $2,499.99, this limited-period offer saves you $750.99 if you purchase the prebuilt PC online.
According to iBuyPower, the prebuilt PC is suitable for anyone looking to upgrade their desktop PC for gaming, streaming, and video editing. It is an all-AMD system including the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which is currently our pick as the best gaming CPU on the market, featuring 8 cores, 16 threads, a base clock of 4.7 GHz, and boost speeds of up to 5.2 GHz. It comes with AMD's second-generation 3D V-Cache technology, providing a massive 96MB of L3 cache to improve gaming performance. The Radeon RX 9070XT handles graphics duties, which is currently AMD's most well-rounded graphics card offering performance that is almost similar to the RTX 5070 Ti for far less money.
Featuring the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Radeon RX 9070 XT, liquid cooling, and a premium Hyte Y40 chassis, the iBuyPower Y40 delivers high-end gaming performance at a surprisingly accessible price.View Deal
The rest of the components include 32GB of DDR5 5200 MT/s memory, a 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD, a B650 motherboard with onboard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and an 850W 80 Plus Gold power supply unit. All of the parts are housed inside the Hyte Y40, which is a fishtank-style case with three 120mm ARGB fans and an iBuyPower AW4 360mm AIO liquid cooler. Included with the prebuilt gaming PC is the iBuyPower Chimera KM7 RGB bundle, which is an entry-level keyboard and mouse combo.
As you can see from our testing, the 9800X3D excels in gaming titles and will serve you well for years to come as the solid foundation of a gaming PC, even paving the way for upgrading the GPU in a few years without bottlenecking it.
Considering all the parts, the iBuyPower Y40 should offer excellent value for anyone looking to jump straight into high-end PC gaming, especially at its discounted price of $1,749. The combination of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Radeon RX 9070 XT makes it particularly appealing for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming and even 4K gaming in certain modern titles. If you've been waiting for a powerful prebuilt gaming PC without spending well over $2,000, this Walmart deal is definitely worth considering.
Given that the Steam Deck 512GB and 1TB experienced a price increase of around 45%, it stands to reason that the Steam Machine would have received the same hike if it were already in the market. So, if we extrapolate the numbers, the Steam Machine would’ve been originally priced at around $729.91. The 1TB Steam Deck’s price jumped by 46.22%, but we can’t just apply that increase to the higher-tier Steam Machine because it has double the storage capacity. But if we check our SSD price tracker, the price difference between the cheapest 1TB and 2TB SSDs was just at $28 when they were at their lowest. If we add this to the 1TB "version" of the living room PC console, then we can safely estimate that Valve’s target price for the 2TB Steam Machine is around $950-$1,000.
The Steam Machine is still more expensive than the PlayStation 5 Pro, even at its original prices, because Valve refuses to subsidize its hardware sales with the sales on the Steam store. After all, the Steam Machine has an open hardware philosophy, allowing buyers to do what they want with the console. You can install Windows 11 on it and just stick with PC Game Pass to play your games on the console, meaning Valve will make zero dollars on game purchases from you.
This stark price difference could make the Steam Machine unpalatable to console gamers who are interested in switching to PC gaming through the living room PC console. After all, several tests reveal that the PlayStation outperforms the Steam Machine in several titles (although the Valve hardware still performed well enough). But the advantage that gamers are paying for in the Steam Machine is the abilities of a desktop PC (you can pretty much install anything you want on it without going through the Steam store and you don’t have to subscribe for online play), combined with the convenience of a living room console (like HDMI-CEC and the ability to switch the console on or off from the controller). Interested gamers will also likely have a library of titles ready to play.
Hopefully, the Steam Machine’s price will come down once the memory supply finally stabilizes, but it will probably be years before this happens, if at all. Valve’s new gaming console is quite a niche product — it’s built for PC gamers with an extensive Steam library who want to play games on their living room couch or while lying in bed without going through the hassle of building an SFF PC. But if you prefer playing games on your desk or already have a substantial game library on your PlayStation, you’re probably better off sticking with your current hardware.
Since Prime Day is an Amazon thing, Lenovo is responding by launching its own sale over at its official online store. Dubbed the Black Friday in June sale, the event brings some of the year's biggest discounts on Lenovo products. Whether you're looking for a laptop, such as the ThinkPad E14 Gen 6, a capable gaming handheld like the Legion Go S, or a high-performance gaming system like the Legion Tower 5i Gen 10, everyone is bound to find something at Lenovo's sale.
The ThinkPad E14 Gen 6 is among the most performant and durable laptops for business users. The device pairs a Ryzen 5 7535U, a power-efficient chip with six cores and 12 threads, with 16GB of DDR5-4800 memory to handle office workloads. The 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD guarantees quick load times and better multitasking.
The laptop features a 14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS screen with a 60 Hz refresh rate and a maximum brightness of 300 nits for sharp, vivid images. It also comes with a 1080p webcam, a microphone, and a privacy shutter for high-quality meetings with your team. Meanwhile, Wi-Fi 6 connectivity ensures a stable, fast connection to the Internet.
The ThinkPad E14 Gen 6features a Ryzen 5 7535U, 16GB DDR5-4800 memory, and a 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD. Use the BUYMORELENOVO promo code at checkout.View Deal
The Legion Go S taps AMD's Z1 Extreme processor and 32GB of LPDDR5X-7500 memory to offer an excellent gaming performance in a handheld. It also comes with a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD to house your gaming library.
Lenovo outfits the Legion Go S with an 8-inch WUXGA IPS panel that flaunts a 1920 x 1200 resolution. That combined with a 120 Hz refresh rate and 500 nits make the Legion Go S a very top-tier gaming handheld. To put the cherry on top, the Legion Go S, unlike other gaming handhelds, comes with Valve's SteamOS.
The Legion Go S is a gaming handheld that leverages AMD's Z1 Extreme processor and runs Steam OS. Use the BUYMORELENOVO promo code at checkout.View Deal
A Core Ultra 9 275HX powers the Legion Tower 5i Gen 10. It may be a mobile chip, but it's a very powerful one. With 24 cores consisting of eight P-cores and 16 E-cores, the chip features a boost clock up to 5.4 GHz so that it won't bottleneck the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti that it's paired with. To round out the specifications are 32GB (2x16GB) of DDR5-5600 memory and a nice 1 TB PCIe 5.0 SSD.
The gaming system cools the Core Ultra 9 275HX with a 240mm AIO liquid cooler rated for up to 200W. There's also Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, plenty of high-speed USB ports, and a free three-month subscription to Microsoft's Xbox PC Game Pass so you can start gaming right away.
The Legion Tower 5i Gen 10 is a gaming system that won't let you down. The Core Ultra 9 275HX and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti are plenty to run modern games. Use the BUYMORELENOVO promo code at checkout.View Deal
Given the timing, there are plenty of exceptional computer hardware deals from various U.S. retailers. The ThinkPad E14 Gen 6, Legion Go S, and Legion Tower 5i Gen 10 are just some of the attractive deals on offer from Lenovo. If you're in the market for a different product, don't forget to drop by the company's online store.
OLED panels are quickly becoming a must-have item for desktop PCs. Most of us were introduced to the panel technology in smartphones, and it’s become increasingly popular on laptops. For desktop gamers seeking an immediate visual upgrade, OLED is the way to go, and fortunately, Prime Day is proving to be a great time to take the plunge. From massive DQHD panels on the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 (G93SC) to dual-mode offerings like the LG 27GX790B-B, we have you covered.
The Alienware AW3424DW is an ultrawide 21:9 display with a QD-OLED panel. It has a resolution of 3440 x 1440 and a refresh rate of 240Hz. View Deal
The Alienware 34 QD-OLED was the first mainstream QD-OLED monitor, and the updated version, sporting a newer QD-OLED panel and a faster 240Hz refresh rate, is on sale at its lowest price ever on Prime Day. It can now be had for $629.99, or 21% off its list price of $799.99.
We reviewed this model, the AW3425DW, last year and gave it immense praise. It excelled with incredibly accurate color, incredible black levels, and class-leading input lag. It also boasted a color error of only 1.33 based on our testing.
Alienware’s take on this panel has a few unique goodies, as well. It comes with a three-year warranty that covers burn-in, as well as built-in panel-saving features like pixel shifting. This model uses a newer QD-OLED panel that addresses some of the color fringing issues on earlier QD-OLED panels.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
32-inch 4K OLED Gaming Monitors
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SD) is a great 32-inch-class monitor sporting a 4K 240 Hz QD-OLED display.View Deal
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SD) hits the sweet spot for gaming monitors: it has a 32-inch screen, which is ideal for its 4K resolution (granted, while you'll find 4K in smaller 27-inch panels, 32-inch models are more popular).
You, of course, get a brilliant Samsung QD-OLED panel, which is known more for its rich colors and deep blacks than for extreme brightness. However, the G80SD does stick out like a sore thumb compared to most OLED gaming monitors because it has a matte, anti-glare coating on the panel instead of a glossy finish.
With that said, the G80SD offers a 240 Hz refresh rate at native resolution, is Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro-certified, and has a 0.03 ms response time. It includes two 10-watt speakers, Bluetooth audio support, DisplayPort 1.4, and HDMI 2.1 ports. You can even turn the G80SD into a multimedia hub thanks to its Smart TV integration with streaming apps and the Samsung Gaming Hub.
The LG 27GX790B-B is a 27-inch QHD monitor with a native 540 Hz refresh rate, but it can switch to 720 Hz at 720p.View Deal
The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMGR is a 27-inch, 1440p monitor with a QD-OLED panel. It boasts a 240Hz refresh and 0.03ms GtG response times.View Deal
LG is a leading OLED panel supplier among high-refresh-rate gaming monitors (including some of its primary competitors in the monitor space). They’ve incorporated these panels into their gaming monitor lineup, including the 27GX790B-B. Originally priced at $999, it’s now available for $300 off for Amazon Prime Day, making it a great deal at just $684.99.
The LG 27GX790B-B features an RGB Tandem OLED panel, a 2560 x 1440 (QHD) resolution, and a native refresh rate of 540 Hz. However, if you’re an eSports enthusiast and willing to compromise on resolution to 720p, you can increase the refresh rate to an astonishing 720 Hz. This monitor is designed for gamers with powerful graphics cards capable of delivering over 700 FPS and who are comfortable with 720p resolution.
Asus is also a big player in the gaming monitor market, and it makes that point very clear with the XG27AQDMGR. Being that this is an "XG" monitor, it does away with some of the frills of its more premium siblings to reach a lower price point while still sporting a QD-OLED panel. You can now grab one for just $449 during Amazon Prime Day.
That price gets you a 27-inch 1440p panel with a 240 Hz refresh rate. And who makes that panel, you might ask? Well, LG, of course. The monitor still offers DisplayPort 2.1 despite its lower standing in Asus' monitor rankings, and includes the company's Neo Proximity Sensor to dim the display when you're not sitting in front of it (which goes a long way toward extending panel longevity).
Chinese companies are paying as much as 600,000 Chinese Yuan ($82,000) for servers built around Nvidia's five-year-old A100 accelerator and modifying gaming GPUs to run AI workloads, as a U.S. smuggling crackdown and a Chinese customs freeze on legally approved chips choke off every other supply route at once, according to the Financial Times. The price of an A100 server has roughly tripled since late last year, while Nvidia's flagship DGX B300 system has doubled to more than 8 million ($1.1 million) on the black market over the past six months.
Servers built on the A100, a data-center GPU Nvidia launched in 2020, have climbed from about 200,000 Chinese Yuan ($22,300) to as much as 600,000 ($67,000) since late last year, the FT reported, citing chip traders. Demand has also pulled in gaming processors that can be modified to run inference.
Nvidia's restricted Blackwell hardware sits at the top of the same market: the RTX 6000 Pro workstation card has risen from roughly 50,000 Chinese Yuan ($5,580) at the start of the year to as much as 130,000 ($14,500), and the DGX B300, which retails in the U.S. for nearly $400,000, now trades above $1.1 million. Renting is no cheaper, with an FT survey finding that GPU rates inside China now match or exceed U.S. prices, reversing the discount that the abundant smuggled supply once provided.
Washington tightened enforcement at the end of last year, and in March, a Supermicro co-founder was charged over an alleged $2.5 billion scheme to route Nvidia AI servers to Chinese buyers. Authorities in Taiwan and Malaysia subsequently opened their own smuggling investigations, drying up the re-export routes traders had relied on. Building data centers from smuggled chips is a "dead-end," Nvidia told the outlet, adding that it provides no support or repairs for restricted products.
Beijing itself closed legal channels from the other side. After the Trump administration approved H200 exports to China, Chinese customs were instructed to block the chips at the border, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick later confirmed that Nvidia hadn't sold a single H200 to a Chinese company months later. Both moves push buyers toward the same destination: Huawei, which has positioned its Ascend 950PR, launched in March, as the inference chip of choice for domestic firms.
It’s understood that the 950PR is currently undergoing testing at large data center clients in China, but output is still limited, and its native CANN software stack substantially trails Nvidia’s CUDA, so domestic supply can’t yet absorb the demand the import freeze has redirected.
Rising memory prices are only compounding all this, with one trader saying that moving away from Nvidia hardware had become harder as component costs climbed, a knock-on from the DRAM and HBM shortage now working through every tier of the AI hardware stack. Until Huawei scales the 950PR, which will take some time, or Beijing greenlights H200 imports, which is highly unlikely, prices for the remaining A100 inventory in China will continue to rise.
Yesterday, we brought you some poppin' deals on TP-Link Wi-Fi networking gear, and today, we're back in action with the latest sales from Netgear. Netgear has a wide assortment of Wi-Fi 7 hardware, ranging from entry-level dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers to premium tri- and quad-band Orbi mesh routers.
Today, you’ll find deals on everything from EXS25 plug-in range extender to the Orbi 770 tri-band mesh system.
The Netgear Orbi 770, currently on sale, is a mid-range Wi-Fi 7 mesh system that includes two wireless nodes. The system carries a regular asking price of $549.99, but is currently available with a $125 discount, taking the price to $424.99.
The main node (router) features three 2.5 GbE LAN ports and a dedicated 2.5 GbE WAN. The second node (satellite) only features two 2.5 GbE ports. Interestingly, neither node includes a USB 3.x port, which is increasingly common at this price point.
Regarding wireless connectivity, the Orbi 770 supports 2.4 GHz at up to 688 Mbps, 5 GHz at up to 4,320 Mbps, and 6 GHz at up to 5,760 Mbps. It also covers up to 5,550 square feet, which should be more than adequate for the average American home (around 2,220 square feet). Managing the Orbi 770 can be done using Netgear's web GUI or the Orbi smartphone app.
We reviewed the three-node variant of the Orbi 770 and praise its easy of use and plentiful ports, but knocked it for the high price. This Amazon Prime Day sale addresses our primary concern.
The Orbi 700 Wi-Fi 7 mesh router is designed to envelope a spacious 5,500 square feet of space with peak speeds of up to 11 Gbps. These speedy routers come with three 2.5 GbE LAN ports and a single 2.5 GbE WAN port. View Deal
The Nighthawk RS90, RS140, and RS180 are all dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers, meaning that they don't include the higher-performance 6 GHz radio. While that means that short-range performance suffers compared to a tri-band router (when using a compatible Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6E client), it allows them to be offered at much lower prices. The RS90 is priced at just $87.89 (33% off). The RS90 includes four GbE ports, one 2.5 GbE WAN port, and supports up to 2,000 square feet.
The RS140, on sale for $121.46, is a slight step up, offering faster cumulative speeds across the two bands (5 Gbps versus 3.6 Gbps) while increasing coverage to 2,250 square feet. It also comes with three GbE LAN ports and one 2.5 GbE WAN port.
The RS180 is faster still, offering up to 5.5 Gbps speeds while boosting coverage to 2,500 square feet. It also brings upgraded hardware with three GbE LAN ports, one 2.5 GbE LAN port, a 2.5 GbE WAN port, and a single USB 3.0 port for network storage. It’s currently priced at $142.99, representing a 28% discount.
This Wi-Fi 7 router covers 2,500 square feet at up to 5.5 Gbps speeds, and also sports one 2.5 GbE and three 1GbE LAN ports along with a single 2.5 GbE for WAN connectivity. View Deal
The Wi-Fi 7 RS140 covers up to 2,250 square feet at 5.0 Gbps and supports up to 80 devices. This Dual-Band router comes with three 1 GbE LAN ports and one 2.5 GbE WAN port. View Deal
Netgear's Nighthawk RS90 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router with a sleek exterior (aided by its internal antennas). It also has a full load of GbE and 2.5 GbE ports to support your wired client.View Deal
The EXS25 is a slightly different beast, as it's a Wi-FI 7 range extender. It's on sale for $99, a 33% discount off its regular price. The EXS25 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 extender that plugs directly into a free wall outlet.
Once set up, it adds an additional 1,500 square feet of coverage to your wireless network while supporting up to 4.5 Gbps speeds. The EXS25 can work with any wireless router, not just Netgear-branded ones. In addition, thanks to its 2.5 GbE port, you can use it to add wireless functionality to a device that only supports a wired network connection.
This Wi-Fi 7 range extender covers 1,500 square feet and runs at 4.5 Gbps, supporting up to 45 devices to enable easy roaming in far-flung areas away from your router. View Deal
According to Netgear, are only good through June 26, so you had better act fast if you want to want to upgrade or expand your home wireless network.
The best deal on gaming RAM we've seen so far on Prime Day isn't even on Amazon. You can pick up 32GB of fast DDR5 RAM for the equivalent of just $215 right now, thanks to this Newegg combo bundle, which combines 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 memory with a Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite Wifi 7 Ice motherboard for $479.99.
That's a good mid-tier board for an all-white AM5 build, but let's be honest, it's the RAM you care about. If you want an Intel alternative, though, you can spend a dollar less and pick up the same RAM, in black, for the equivalent of just $214. Alongside the same spec Corsair Vengeance 32GB DDR5 kit, you're getting a Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master Ultra Core board instead for $563.98.
An AMD gaming PC build is the clear favorite among gamers at the moment, so let's focus on that kit deal first.
You're getting a Gigabyte X870E Aorus Elite Wi-Fi 7 motherboard to start off your build or upgrade. This is a solid, mid-tier motherboard with a feast of gaming-friendly features to sink your teeth into. It's AM5, so this will fit all the latest AMD CPUs, and comes with a total of 12 USBs at the rear, including two USB-C ports rated at 40 Gbps. Four M.2 sockets are included for a collection of SSDs (if you've got them), with three rated for PCIe 5.0 over four lanes when you're using a CPU like the 9800X3D. One further slot is rated for PCIe 4.0 SSDs, too. It comes with fast networking capabilities, including 2.5G Ethernet and Wi-Fi 7. You can also install up to 256GB of DDR5 RAM over four DIMM slots, with speeds of up to 8,200 MT/s, although this bundle only ships with 32GB.
Snag an incredible deal with this 2-item Newegg combo. It ships with 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 RAM and a Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite Wifi7 Ice motherboard. The equivalent RAM cost is just $215.View Deal
The board itself is white, so while it isn't a must-have, it'll go well with an all-white build, including the case. You're getting a fast set of 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM, in a kit of 2 x 16GB, supporting speeds of 6,000 MT/s. Corsair is a popular and trusted brand for RAM, and while it performs well, it also looks great, with ten-zone configurable lighting on top of a matching all-white body.
The total cost of the bundle is $479.99, with the motherboard costing $224.99 individually. That makes the RAM just $215, which is around $135 less than the cheapest equivalent kit on sale, anywhere else.
Intel fans can choose this deal instead, however. 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 RAM, this time in black, with a Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master Ultra Core motherboard, which scored well in our review. As we said then, this is a good choice that gives you everything you'd want from a mid-tier gaming motherboard.
Get 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 RAM and a Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master Ultra motherboard, a Newegg combo deal that brings the RAM cost down to just $214.View Deal
It ships with a good selection of USB ports, with 14 in total on the rear I/O. Ultra-fast 10G Ethernet is included here, along with WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity. You get five M.2 sockets, as well as two that support Gen 5 SSDs. It's a build-friendly board for novice PC builders, too, supporting a number of Gigabyte's 'EZ' DIY-friendly features to help put a PC together more quickly. This'll support Intel CPUs with the LGA 1851 socket type, including the latest Arrow Lake CPUs like the new Intel Core Ultra 270K Plus.
RAM is the big one, though. Again, 32GB DDR5 Corsair Vengeance, split over two 16GB modules, with RGB lighting. Two modules mean this is dual-channel memory, so your PC will have double the available bandwidth between the RAM and CPU. The end result is a boost in frame rates and significantly better load times when both modules are installed. The RAM cost here is equivalent to just $214, a $1 cheaper than the AMD bundle, but the cost overall is higher.
Variety is the spice of life, and you've got two solid RAM bundles from Newegg to choose from here that will save you $135 or more compared to buying any rival RAM with the same specs separately. The AMD bundle for $479.99, which brings the RAM cost down to $215, is almost unbeatable, but the Intel bundle for $563.98, making the RAM $214, is unstoppable, too. Pick either of them fast, though, because these prices are too good to last, and they will sell out quickly.
While there are Prime Day monitor sales aplenty, Amazon can't match this Newegg price on the 491CQP. This monitor would be ideal for someone who wants an expansive display for productivity as well as gaming, and it's the perfect alternative to a setup with lots of different monitors scattered all over your desk.
Get a 5120 x 1440 monitor with OLED panel, 144Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms GtG response time, Display HDR True Black 400, and a bunch of ports. View Deal
This is a great display solution for someone who wants to just buy one monitor and never think about display real estate for years. While it doesn't have 4K resolution, the 5120 x 1440 resolution is the equivalent of having two 1440p monitors side-by-side.
The quantum dot OLED panel offers 1.07 billion colors, DisplayHDR True Black 400, and a 144Hz refresh rate. Thanks to OLED tech, you also get a 0.03ms GTG response time.
This monitor also includes USB-C with 90W power delivery, so you can plug a laptop into it and use the monitor like a giant OLED dock. KVM support means you can control multiple devices using one keyboard and mouse. Other ports include two HDMI 2.1 ports, and DisplayPort 1.4a.
MSI's monitor comes with a 3-year OLED warranty to protect against burn-in should the need arise.
Meta has suspended an internal AI training program after an internal data leak exposed sensitive employee information company-wide, according to a Business Insider report on June 22. The program, introduced in April, was designed to help Meta train AI systems on real employee workflows by gathering data, but has now triggered internal backlash over privacy and data security.
Screenshots obtained by Business Insider showed that data collected through the program was more broadly accessible within Meta than intended. The exposed information reportedly included private employee conversations, performance-related data, transcriptions, and activity records. Meta classified the incident as a SEV 2, on an internal scale of 0 to 5, where SEV 0 is the most severe.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed that the company has paused the program while it investigates the incident. "We have carefully designed this program with privacy safeguards, and while we have no indication at this time that any data was improperly accessed by Meta employees, we're pausing it while we investigate," the spokesperson told Business Insider. The incident does not appear to be an external hack but rather an internal data mismanagement.
Meta introduced the program, called the Model Capability Initiative, to monitor employee behavior for use in improving its AI models. The program, which the company reportedly made mandatory for most staff, collected data on employees’ work activities, including keystrokes, mouse movements, conversations, transcripts, and performance-related information.
Employees were reportedly uncomfortable with the idea of their keystrokes and mouse movements being recorded for AI training. Now they're finding out the data may not have been properly protected, and was widely accessible across the company rather than restricted to intended viewers.
Screenshots reviewed by Business Insider reportedly showed employees criticizing the failure to lock down the data from the start. “I am incensed,” one employee wrote in an internal group, according to the report. Another said there was no evidence of malicious access, but called the lack of promised restrictions “super frustrating.”
The episode is the latest in a frustrating stretch for Meta's workforce. The company has cut thousands of jobs in part to fund AI infrastructure behind more powerful AI systems; the same class of systems that Meta and other companies are deploying to replace workers. Building these models also requires vast amounts of training data, and Meta turned to its own employees to supply it, a move most employees were reportedly against. Now these employees have learned that the data they were compelled to hand over was not adequately secured, leaving it exposed to much of the company.
The Amazon Prime Day sale continues, and day two of the sale promises more deals on all your favorite tech, PC gaming hardware, and peripherals. As PC prices continue to squeeze consumers, an event like Prime Day is a great way to save some money on a new build, component upgrades, monitors, and beyond.
Our expert team curates deals 24/7 during the event, leveraging our testing data and hands-on experience to bring you recommendations. We also use extensive price tracking to ensure that deals are always actually worthwhile, avoiding price inflation or exaggerated discounts.
As always, you need a Prime membership to take advantage of Prime Day deals, but we're also sharing lots of listings from rival retailers like Newegg and Best Buy.
Suideck's USB attached drive and dock is more flexible than the BPAKDU. It has very similar optical and flash media compatibility, and SD / TF slots but with its added 2.5-inch SATA slot. However, you pay $11 more for the privilege. View Deal
The Samsung 990 Pro 1TB SSD is compatible with PCIe 4.0 x4 interfaces and can reach read/write speeds of up to 7,450/6,900 MB/s. The drive uses a Samsung Pascal controller and comes with a 5-year warranty.View Deal
Get a 25-piece electric screwdriver for PC maintenance or any DIY task. Comes with a 1,500mAh battery, LED, and extension rod. View Deal
The MSI Cyborg is a value-focused machine with a Core 7-240H processor and an RTX 5070 GPU.View Deal
This slick external power button features a 2-meter (~78 inches) cable and a splitter that lets you connect both to your case's front panel buttons. It also includes adhesive pads and zip-ties.View Deal
A great refresh of the P1S, with a better nozzle, screen, camera, and improved cooling system. This is the new standard to which other 3D printers will be measured.View Deal
All the bits you will ever need to cosplay as an IT superhero. Take old consoles apart, fix laptops, remove SIM cards from smartphones, and pry open devices to learn their secrets!View Deal
Welcome to Day 2 of Amazon Prime Day! There's plenty going on in the world of PC hardware, and we'll be taking you through the best savings on components, hardware, tools, peripherals, and more! - Stephen
Beat PC building prices with this RTX 5060 pre-built
New for day two is this CyberPowerPC pre-built, which costs just $1,049. For that, you get an Intel Core i5 14400F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 8GB, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1 TB gen 4 SSD, as well as Windows 11.
Building this PC by yourself would be pretty much
With Intel Core i5 14400F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 8GB, 16GB of DDR5, and a 1TB SSD, this gaming PC is much cheaper than trying to build your own budget gaming rig. View Deal
As you can see from our testing, the 5060 is a respectable entry-level card that beats out Intel offerings and AMD's 9060XT. This card will do just fine at 1080p, making this build a great first-time gaming PC for a budding young enthusiast. If you've been trying to build a budget gaming PC, this is probably your best bet. - Stephen
Grab this attractive, versatile gaming mouse for $130
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
If you're looking for a great all-around gaming mouse that's also gorgeous, the Logitech G502 X Plus is the prettiest wireless gaming mouse that's also a total powerhouse. It's currently on sale in both black and white variations for just $113.99 at Amazon — down 29% from its retail price of $159.99.
This right-handed contoured gaming mouse features 13 programmable buttons, dual-mode scrolling, a reversible/removable DPI switch button, and up to 130 hours of battery life (with the pretty lighting turned off).View Deal
The G502 X Plus is a large, right-handed contoured gaming mouse with a thumb rest, 13 programmable buttons, and 8 RGB zones. It features Logitech's Hero 25K optical sensor and an adjustable/removable DPI shift button, as well as a dual-mode scroll wheel that lets you switch between smooth free-scrolling and precise notched scrolling with the press of a button. It also has hybrid optical-mechanical switches in its primary buttons — optical for speed and low-latency, and mechanical for improved battery life (it gets up to 130 hours with the lighting turned off, but that drops to around 37 hours with the lighting turned on). You can read my full review of the Logitech G502 X Plus here. — Sarah
UK SSD deal, just £30 off 2025 pricing for this 9100 Pro
SSD prices have gone through the roof, but this Samsung 9100 Pro SSD is just £30 more than it was in August 2025 at Amazon UK. That means you're getting close to pre-AI crunch pricing, which is unheard of in this economy.
A big saving on this 9100 Pro 1TB Gen 5 PCIe SSD, with sequential read and write speeds of up to 14,800/13,400 MB/s. This is one of the fastest drives on the market. View Deal
The 9100 Pro is one of the fastest drives we've ever tested, making it perfect for professional workloads of gaming. This will improve load times and, of course, make Windows boot faster. As noted, this is only £30 more than the lowest price we've ever seen on this model, so it's a real bargain given the SSD economy right now. - Stephen
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Save 47% on Samsung's excellent 32-inch 240 Hz 4K Odyssey gaming monitor
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SD) is a premium 32-inch gaming monitor built around a 4K QD-OLED panel. Right now, Amazon is selling the monitor for $657.77, which is $47% off its normal list price.
The G80SD’s OLED panel features Quantum Dot enhancement, delivering vibrant colors, deep blacks, and wide color coverage. It offers a 240 Hz refresh rate and features an ultra-fast 0.03 ms gray-to-gray response time, making it ideal for competitive gaming on high-end PC setups. It is also compatible with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-Sync for smooth, tear-free gameplay.
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SD) is a great 32-inch-class monitor sporting a 4K 240 Hz QD-OLED display.View Deal
You’ll also find HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort connectivity, while Samsung's OLED Glare-Free coating helps reduce reflections. To address OLED longevity concerns, Samsung incorporates its OLED Safeguard+ suite, which includes a dynamic cooling system, thermal modulation, and automatic brightness adjustments for static elements such as logos and taskbars to help minimize screen burn-in.
Beyond gaming, the monitor Samsung's Gaming Hub, allowing you to access cloud gaming services and connected consoles, while built-in Smart TV features allow streaming without a PC. — Brandon Hill
Another excellent pre-built PC is $700 off
New to the Prime Day sales in the last few minutes is this MSI Codex R2 gaming PC. If you want a PC that comes ready to play out of the box and don't want to negotiate tricky RAM and SSD prices, this is a great option.
This pre-built PC comes with Intel Core i5-14400F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB of DDR5, 1TB SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11, and more. View Deal
While the CPU is an older generation model, that's a great way to save in the current crisis, and the RTX 5070 should provide plenty of grunt for gaming at 1440p. As per our testing data, the 5070 is excellent in the mid-range category, and gives out average frame rates of over 100 fps at 1080p, or 75 at 1440p. 4K gaming is definitely a stretch on this one, but at just $1,589 that's to be expected. - Stephen
You probably don't need a 4K webcam, but if you do, now's a great time to get one on sale. Logitech's MX Brio is a webcam that shoots in 4K resolution at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps, and it's currently on sale for just $161.49 at Amazon — 19% off its retail price of $199.99.
This 4K / 30fps webcam does a great job of professionally lighting scenes. It has an 8.5MP Sony Starvis sensor, a 90-degree field of view, 4x digital zoom, and a built-in privacy shutter.View Deal
Logitech MX Brio in a well-lit setting (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
This sleek 4K webcam features a large 1.58-inch lens with a movable ring that twists to open and close a built-in privacy shutter (similar to the shutter on Razer's Kiyo Pro Ultra). In addition to its 4K resolution, it sports a 90-degree field of view, 4x digital zoom, and has dual beamforming microphones, in the event you have no other mic-enabled device plugged into your PC.
Its 8.5MP Sony Starvis sensor captures images very well in all lighting situations, and it does an especially good job of evenly lighting everything in a scene (maybe too good of a job — some scenes ended up looking a little flat). It has AI image enhancement to reduce noise and smooth the picture out, and it's just a very good webcam if you're looking for a reliably professional picture. While most video conferencing platforms don't support over 1080p, the 4K resolution will help if you want to zoom in and crop out a messy background. You can read my full review of the Logitech MX Brio here. — Sarah
A smashing UK Alienware deal
This potent Alienware gaming laptop is on sale in the UK, down to just £1,549. For that, you get an excellent Intel core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, Nvidia RTX 5070, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
This powerful Alienware laptop features an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB DDR5, and a 1TB SSD. It comes with a 16-inch screen capable of 1600p with a 240Hz refresh rate. View Deal
In our Alienware 16X Aurora 5060 review, we flagged that model as lacking performance. This spec is much more enticing thanks to the RTX 5070 GPU, and the CPU is also much more potent. While we don't have tests of this specific model, here's how the 275HX performs inside the HP Omen Max 16
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As you can see, there's plenty of juice for both performance gaming and productivity here. You also get a snappy 240Hz display with 2560 x 1600 resolution, which the RTX 5070 will have no problem keeping up with. - Stephen
Bundles bonanza at Newegg - RAM for $215
Newegg bundles are back this morning with some big RAM savings. If you buy this bundle of Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite and Corsair Vengeance 32GB DDR5, you get the RAM for an effective price of $215. Given RAM currently costs $350, that's a no-brainer.
Snag an incredible deal with this 2-item Newegg combo. Get 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 RAM and a Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite Wifi7 Ice motherboard for only $479.99. $185 savings makes the RAM only $215 - a steal in today's market.View Deal
There's also this dark-flavored version which is better by $1, getting you the RAM for $214. However, this is an LGA 1851 motherboard, so you'll be limiting yourself to Intel's most recent CPUs, rather than AM5, which is what the above gets you. If you want to build a PC with AMD's coveted X3D SKUs, the above bundle is the way to go. If you're team Intel, check this one out - Stephen
Get a Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master and 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5 for $563. The motherboard means the effective price of the RAM in this bundle is $214, much cheaper than buying it separately. View Deal
A massive MSI monitor
I've just found with 49-inch MSI OLED monitor at Newegg for less than $700. This gets you 5120 x 1440p resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and all the advantages of OLED for less.
Get a 5120 x 1440 monitor with OLED panel, 144Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms GtG response time, Display HDR True Black 400, and a bunch of ports. View Deal
This is the perfect deal for anyone who just wants to buy one display then never think about monitors every again. It's effectively two 1440p monitors stacked side-by-side, perfect for lots of productivity and, of course, expansive gaming. - Stephen
Save a massive $750 on an RX 9070 XT + 9800X3D gaming PC
An all-AMD gaming PC could be in your very near future. This iBuyPower Y40 gaming PC is on sale at Walmart right now, and it's fitted with some of our top choices for a build. It has an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, along with an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage for $1,749 right now, giving you a 4K-capable machine for less than $1,800.
That's a brilliant price for a spec sheet like this. iBuyPower has built a reputation for its powerful and gorgeous-looking builds. and this liquid-cooled rig using the wrap-around Hyte Y40 case is formidable.
A formidably powerful and attractive gaming PC from custom build experts iBuyPower. This rig has an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT with 16GB VRAM, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD.View Deal
The 9800X3D is one of our favorite X3D chips from AMD. This 8-core, 16-thread processor features AMD's newest Zen 5 architecture and comes equipped with a boost clock speed of up to 5.2 GHz. The boosted 96MB L3 cache means that it doesn't need to drop down and rely on the slower system RAM, reducing latency and ensuring much higher frame rates in-game. The RX 9070 XT, meanwhile, is one of the best gaming GPUs out there: it's the perfect all-rounder with 4K-ready performance that rivals Nvidia's mid-tier RTX 5070 Ti.
A $750 saving on a PC this good is a steal. Expect to see this one fly off the e-shelves.
Razer Huntsman Mini is 45% off
This 60% Razer Huntsman Mini keyboard is a nifty small-form gaming keyboard with Linear Optical Switches and RGB. Usually $129 on Amazon, right now you can grab one for just $69, a new lowest-ever price. The price has dropped in the last hour, making it one of the newest Prime Day deals.
Get a 60% linear optical keyboard with an aluminum chassis, doubleshot PBT keycaps, and addressable RGB. View Deal
We loved the Huntsman's light switches and keycaps in our review. It also features a removable cable and five onboard memory profiles, with software for customization, including for the addressable RGB. If you prefer, you can also grab the black version for $2 more. - Stephen
This nifty Acer Nitro Portable gaming monitor is now 37% off. For $113 you get a 15.6-inch portable IPS display with 165Hz refresh rate, perfect for on-the-go gaming.
Get a portable gaming monitor with a 165Hz refresh rate, USB-C ports, mini HDMI, and audio out. View Deal
This mini monitor is perfect for travel and vacations, and is ideal for adding an extra display to a gaming setup, or even as a standalone display for a console if you're travelling. 1080p resolution is also great for watching movies or YouTube videos. If you want to save more, there's a basic $99 version, but for the extra $14, the gaming version seems like a no-brainer. - Stephen
A brand new lowest-ever price for June 24, this excellent XG27AQDMGR is a little less premium than some other Asus QD-OLED monitors. The panel is from LG, and there's a proximity sensor to turn the screen off when you step away to prevent burn-in.
The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMGR is a 27-inch, 1440p monitor with a QD-OLED panel. It boasts a 240Hz refresh and 0.03ms GtG response times.View Deal
This 2560 x 1440 monitor has a TrueBlack Glossy WOLED display with up to 240Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms GTG response time. IT's also DisplayHDR 400 True Black certified, and offers DisplayPort 2.1, HDMI, and USB 3.2 connectivity. At just $434, this is the lowest-ever price we've seen on this monitor, beating the previous low of $449 thanks to a new discount this morning. - Stephen
This MicroSD Express Card deal for Switch 2 will not last long...
Give your Switch 2 the storage boost it needs. With fast speeds and respectable endurance, the P9 Express from Samsung is one of the best microSD Express cards you can get.View Deal
This deal runs for only 14 more hours, but there is always the looming threat of B&H running out of stock. The time is now if you want to score this deal. — Paul Alcorn
Don't forget your membership...
Remember, you'll need an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the best deals this week. Even the free 30-day trial will get you access:
Day 2 price drop on LG's premium 27-inch RGB Tandem OLED 540 Hz/720 Hz dual-mode gaming monitor
Earlier this week, we highlighted this excellent LG monitor with a $300 discount. If you blinked the first time, the price has just fallen by an extra $15 to an all-time low of $684.
The LG 27GX790B-B is a premium monitor featuring an RGB Tandem OLED panel with a 2560 x 1440 (QHD) resolution. It has a native refresh rate of 540 Hz, which is already among the fastest available. However, if you're willing to drop the resolution to 720p for eSports titles, you can boost the refresh rate to a staggering 720 Hz. If you have the graphics muscle to handle pushing out 700+ FPS and you're willing to accept 720p resolution, this one's for you.
The LG 27GX790B-B is a 27-inch QHD monitor with a native 540 Hz refresh rate, but it can switch to 720 Hz at 720p.View Deal
In addition to its speedy fundamentals, the 27GX790B-B also offers AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, features DisplayPort 2.1/HDMI 2.1 ports, and a built-in USB hub (with DisplayPort Alt Mode supported via its USB-C port). - Stephen Warwick
Secure Intel's fastest DDR4 CPU with a new all-time low on the Core i9-14900KF
This Intel Core i9-14900KF matches the 14900K on performance and is overclockable, but comes without integrated graphics. If that's a problem, opt for the 14900K above.
There aren't a ton of deals on Intel's Raptor Lake chips, which makes sense given the current RAM crisis and the fact that Raptor Lake supports both DDR4 and DDR5. The Core i9-14900KF is an exception, now selling for its lowest price ever of $372.99 for Prime Day.
(Image credit: Future)
The Core i9-14900KF is a 24-core chip that offers identical performance to the Core i9-14900K, just without integrated graphics. Based on our latest testing, this chip remains Intel's fastest gaming CPU, outclassing the newer Core Ultra 7 270K Plus.
Pairing the Core i9-14900KF with a DDR4 motherboard represents a performance loss of around 15% in games, but it depends on the title. Regardless, this is a flagship CPU that's normally sold for north of $500, so this Prime Day deal is excellent. — Jake Roach
This 140W 3-port UGREEN portable power bank is 45% off for a limited time
People who frequently travel know that whenever they have the opportunity, they should always charge their mobile devices. Whether you're waiting on a layover at the airport, sitting in your seat on a plane with a power outlet in front of you, or in your hotel room hours before your next meeting. But when you don’t have quick and easy access to wall power, it’s great to have a portable power bank on hand to keep your devices charged. That’s where UGREEN’s 25,000 mAh Nexode Power Bank comes in handy, and it’s on sale for $59.98 ($45% off) at Amazon for Prime Day.
The UGREEN Nexode Power Bank offers two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, allowing three devices to charge simultaneously. Its two USB-C ports can charge at 165W and 45W, respectively.View Deal
The Nexode Power Bank supports Power Delivery 3.1 up to 140 watts and offers a battery capacity of 25,000 mAh. You’ll find three USB ports: two USB-C and one USB-A, allowing you to charge three devices simultaneously. USB-C1 has a maximum output of 140 watts, USB-C2 at 65 watts, and USB-A3 at 22.5 watts. The power bank recharges at 65 watts and can go from empty to 100 percent in 2 hours.
According to UGREEN, the Nexode Power Bank has enough juice just to recharge a typical laptop from empty to 100% 1.3 times, and can charge an average iPhone or Android smartphone over 5 times before conking out. — Brandon Hill
Save a whopping 50% on the Zalman Cubix-G chassis - $30 MicroATX case with panoramic glass includes three RGB fans
Cases are another item that hasn’t been affected by the AI boom and subsequent memory shortages, and Zalman’s MicroATX Cubix-G is on sale for only $29.99 (50% off MSRP) during Prime Day 2026. This tiny case supports Mini-ITX and MicroATX motherboards, video cards up to 280mm, CPU coolers up to 155mm (note it does not support AIOs), and 140mm ATX-size power supplies. It also comes with three 3-pin DC-controlled ARGB fans (rated up to 1,000 RPM), which, for the price, I did not expect.
Save $30 (an incredible 50% off) this MicroATX PC Case from Zalman. The Cubix-G comes with three RGB fans, supports up to 3x 2.5-inch drives, 280mm GPUs, and 155mm air coolers for this space-saving case. For $30, you can't go wrong.View Deal
Externally, it’s a good-looking case with panoramic class on two sides, while at the bottom, there is a separate chamber for the power supply (and cables), where you can also mount some of your HDDs/SSDs. Connectivity-wise, the front panel offers 2x Type-A ports, 1x Type-C (10 Gbps), power/reset buttons, and a 3.5mm audio jack. For $30, you’re not going to find a better deal on a panoramic MicroATX case that includes three fans. If this isn’t the case for you, please check out our Best PC cases page or Best PC case deals for more options. Get it while it lasts at this price. - Joe Shields
Get the cheapest RTX 5090 around with MSI's Gaming Trio card
No RTX 5090 is cheap right now. The midpoint of prices for Nvidia's halo card has been hovering around $4299 of late, more than 2X its MSRP. But if you need to save a couple hundred bucks on the fastest gaming graphics card around, B&H is offering up MSI's Gaming Trio RTX 5090 for $4099, making it the cheapest 5090 we've seen in this Prime Day stretch.
RTX 5090s are all wildly expensive right now, but this MSI Gaming Trio card is the cheapest one you'll find, and its massive cooler will let you get the most out of the fastest graphics card around. View Deal
The Gaming Trio RTX 5090 boasts a ginormous quad-slot cooler with a nifty translucent shroud that reveals slashes of RGB LED lighting underneath. A full-length metal backplate with a huge cutout for flow-through cooling comes emblazoned with MSI's dragon motif to show your allegiance to the world, and MSI includes a GPU support to prevent your extremely large and expensive graphics card from sagging. 5090s don't last long at any price right now, so save a couple of hundred and get this one. -- Jeff Kampman
Rapoo MT760 Mouse is 15% off for Prime Day - Logitech MX Master clone is on sale for $36, an all-time low price
Rapoo’s MT760 is a wireless mouse that supports BT 5.0 and 2.4G connections on up to four different devices (one-click switching). Priced at an all-time low price of $36.32, it’s a solid deal for Prime Day 2026. It has seven adjustable DPI modes from 800 to 4000 DPI, allowing seamless sensitivity adjustments with the press of a button. The 1K polling rate isn’t ideal for hardcore esports gamers, but enough for your average lite gamer. The MT760 has 11 programmable buttons, including two scroll wheels, one of which is a Hall-effect magnetic induction scroll wheel for precise horizontal scrolling (the thumb scroll wheel on the left).
Save big on the Rapoo MT760 wireless mouse. This MX Master clone offers 11 programmable buttons, hall effect side scroll wheel, a 1K Hz polling rate and 4K DPI, connects up to four devices simultaneously (one-button switching). View Deal
Physically, it’s a large mouse with a wing/extension on the side that’s ideal for resting your thumb and for palm-style grips. It looks like it works fine with the claw, but the larger footprint is ideal for palm or modified-palm grips. Rapoo says the battery lasts up to 160 hours, which is plenty for productivity or gaming, and it charges wirelessly. Did we mention it’s a lot cheaper than the MX Master mice, too? If this isn’t the mouse for you, check out our best gaming mouse page for more options. - Joe Shields
Anycubic's award-winning Kobra X 3D printer gets its price slashed to just $299 at in this Amazon Prime Day discount
A stunning deal at Amazon on Anycubic’s Kobra X 3D printer. This Prime Day deal has absolutely slashed the cost of this Tom’s Hardware Editor’s Choice award-winning printer by a massive $60 (17%), making the Anycubic Kobra X just $299. This is $50 less than the cost of the identical printer direct from Anycubic in their own sale.
The Anycubic Kobra X may look a little like the Bambu Lab A1, with a similar brushed aluminum frame, but that’s where the comparisons end. The Kobra X uses the ACE Gen 2 multi-color system, which is built directly into the toolhead, and doesn’t use an extra external box for the filament. The filament feeds straight in from stationary top-mounted spools, but you can add extra optional hubs, with the ability to connect up to four ACE 2 Pro units for as many as 19 colors in your print creations.
A Tom's Hardware Editor's Choice award winner, the Anycubic Kobra X is a large, open, multi-color 3D printer with native 4-color printing and the ability to reach up to 19 colors. A fast 600 mm/s print speed brings your creations to life as quickly as possible.
Check out our in-depth review of the Anycubic Kobra X for more information on this superb multi-color 3D printer. — Stewart Bendle
Save 43% and upgrade your gaming monitor to a 27-inch 1440p Acer Nitro for only $170 - 240Hz Fast IPS panel is a wallet saving $130 off for Prime Day
Even though we’re seeing a lot of great gaming monitor deals for Prime Day 2026, not everyone can afford fancy high-refresh OLED monitors. Acer’s Nitro VG27U (W2BMIIPX) bridges that gap at $169.99 (43% / $130 off), offering a fast IPS panel with a 240Hz refresh rate that’s great for games and productivity alike. The Nitro supports AMD Freesync Premium technology to minimize screen tearing, while the 0.5ms response time (GTG) defeats ghosting. It is also VESA DisplayHDR 400-certified (400-nit brightness).
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro VG272U gaming monitor from Newegg. This 27-inch QHD IPS panel runs up to 240 Hz, supports AMD Freesync Premium, and is a natural upgrade from a 1080p monitor of any flavor, or lower refresh rate QHD. View Deal
The VG27U sports ‘frameless’ bezels on three sides, has two integrated speakers (2W), and connects through two HDMI (v2.0) ports or one DisplayPort (v1.4). It does not come with any USB ports but does have a 3.5mm audio output. The current $170 price point is an awesome deal on a budget gaming monitor. In fact, my son may have just been upgraded. - Joe Shields
The Asus ROG Strix OLED XG27AQWMG 27-inch gaming monitor is a smoking deal at $549
The ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQWMG is a premium 27-inch gaming monitor with a 1440p Tandem OLED panel. The monitor launched at $649 and is now priced at just $549 on Amazon, which is an amazing price given its capabilities.
The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQWMG offers a 27-inch 1440p 280 Hz Tandem OLED panel and offers excellent color performance.View Deal
It features an ultra-fast 280 Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms gray-to-gray response time, delivering exceptionally smooth motion and minimal blur. We reviewed the monitor earlier this year, and it hit all the right notes in terms of performance. Not only was color performance off the charts, but it had incredibly low input lag. And given the underlying WOLED technology, the XG27AQWMG excels in delivering high brightness levels that most QD-OLEDs can’t match. — Brandon Hill
Save 40% on the MSI Forge GK600 TKL wireless gaming keyboard - upgrade to a hot-swappable TKL mechanical keyboard for only $59.99
This versatile tenkeyless keyboard is on sale for $59.99 and is one of the best deals going on Prime Day 2026 for a name-brand, wireless, TKL keyboard with mechanical switches. The compact and portable Forge GK600 uses linear-profile mechanical switches out of the box, along with sound-dampening gaskets for quiet operation so your roommate won’t hear you beating on the keys late at night. If linear switches aren’t your thing, that’s OK, as they are hot-swappable.
Get the MSI Forge GK600 TKL wireless mechanical keyboard for $59.99 in this Prime Day deal. Silent linear keys (hot-swappable!) and small display are just some highlights of this miniature mechanical keyboard.View Deal
The GK600 TKL uses dye-sublimated PBT keycaps which are backlit by RGB lighting. The 4,000mAh battery helps keep connected times to a minimum. One of the cool features is the 1.06-inch display that shows essential information like battery status, brightness levels, and RGB backlighting profiles so you’re kept in the know at a glance. If you get this deal through Newegg, it also comes with a second set of transparent keycaps (ClearCaps Set, a $29.99 value). Or, if this isn’t the keyboard for you, check our expert-picked best gaming keyboards for other options. - Joe Shields
Grab the Audioengine A2+ speakers at up to 25% off during price day, the lowest price they’ve been in a year
The Audioengine A2+ speakers are legendary, and for good reason. They’re built from a real wooden cabinet, come with an on-board 24-bit DAC, and feature plentiful connectivity, all for an affordable price. Now, they’re even more affordable, with the white version of the speakers dropping from $279 to $223, and the red version dropping all the way down to $209.
The Audioengine A2+ speakers feature real wooden cabinets, a 24-bit DAC, and connections for Bluetooth, USB-C, RCA, and 3.5mm analog. View Deal
I’ve had a pair of these speakers on my desk for probably seven or eight years (I don’t remember exactly when I bought them), and our managing editor Matt Safford has owned a pair for more than a decade. They sound surprisingly good considering the tiny 3-inch woofer, though you shouldn’t expect exceptional low-end.
They’re good all-around speakers. A pair of headphones is better for gaming while a solid Bluetooth speaker with a bass radiation chamber handles music better. For great all-around sound, though, it’s hard to beat the A2+ speakers at this price. — Jake Roach
Save $575 on Asus’ compact Zephyrus G16 with the RTX 5070 and a 240Hz OLED display
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is a surprisingly thin and light gaming laptop considering the hardware inside. This model is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, 16GB of memory, a 1TB SSD, and the RTX 5070 mobile GPU. It also comes in an all-aluminum chassis with a 1600p, 240Hz OLED display.
This Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 comes equipped with a Core Ultra 9 285H, RTX 5070, 16GB of memory, 1TB of storage, and a 240Hz OLED display. View Deal
memory and lower TGP values, particularly on high-end GPUs. That’s an issue we ran up against in our Zephyrus G16 review when we tested a configuration with the RTX 4090. The RTX 5070 is a much better fit for this design. The RTX 5070 here tops out 105W, with a base of 90W plus an extra 15W from Dynamic Boost. The RTX 5070 tops out at 115W plus Dynamic Boost.
Although you can squeeze extra performance out of an RTX 5070 with full TGP, you can’t do it at this size. The build quality and portability are big upsides to the Zephyrus G16. — Jake Roach
Corsair's T3 Rush gaming chair gets a steep price cut to just $189.99
The Corsair T3 Rush is a gaming chair that not only looks good, but it also won’t break the bank. The chair is on sale for $189.99 at Best Buy, a healthy $160 discount off its normal asking price.
The Corsair T3 Rush is an affordable racing-seat-style gaming chair with a breathable cloth surface, memory-foam lumbar support, and 4D armrests. View Deal
This particular version of the T3 Rush is covered in breathable, charcoal-colored fabric and has a sleek, racing-seat-inspired design (complete with loops where you’d run seat belts in a track car). It has a padded neck cushion and memory foam-backed lumbar support. Other features include 65 mm dual-wheel casters, 4D armrests, and a seatback that adjusts from 90 degrees to 170 degrees. — Brandon Hill
A rare discount on the Core i7-12700KF brings the 12-core CPU down to just $220
The Intel Core i7-12700KF gets trounced by the newer Raptor Lake and Raptor Lake Refresh offerings, particularly in games, but it's hard to argue with it when the price is right.View Deal
We don’t see a lot of discounts on Intel’s LGA 1700 chips these days, as they’ve become the go-to alternative DDR4 CPUs when DDR5 prices are out of control. The Core i7-12700KF is on sale for Prime Day at a reasonable price of $220. We’ve seen the chip drop as low as $150 before, but it’s sold for above $250 for all of 2026 so far. Given Alder Lake inventory and DDR4 demand, we don’t anticipate another big price drop like we saw at the end of last year.
Based on our most recent testing, which you can see below, the Core i7-12700K (identical to the KF version, short of including integrated graphics), the chip is about 14% behind the Ryzen 7 5800X3D in games when paired with DDR4. With DDR5, however, the 12700K is on-par with AMD’s first X3D CPU. The chip earns back some stripes in applications, where it’s competitive with AMD’s newer Ryzen 7 9700X.
Tom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's Hardware
You can slot the Core i7-12700KF into motherboards sporting a 600- or 700-series chipset on the LGA 1700 socket, though you may need a BIOS update. Motherboards with the LGA 1700 socket are available with either DDR4 and DDR5 DIMM slots, though note the performance differences you can see above between DDR4 and DDR5. — Jake Roach
Get a fully modular 850W 80 Plus Gold PSU for just $64 with this Prime Day deal on a Thermaltake power supply
The Thermaltake Toughpower GT 850W is a fully modular power supply with an 80 Plus Gold efficiency certification, and critically, it supports the AVX 3.1 standard, fit with a native 16-pin connector for your GPU. Short of an RTX 5090, that should cover you for just about any build. You should use at least a 1000W PSU with the RTX 5090.
The Toughpower GT 850W power supply is fully modular with an 80 Plus Gold certification, and it supports the ATX 3.1 standard with a 16-pin PCIe connector rated for up to 450W. View Deal
For the RTX 5080 and lower, however, 850W should do the trick at stock settings. One interesting quirk about this PSU is that the 16-pin connection is limited to 450W, while most higher-end PSUs rate that connection for up to 600W. You probably shouldn’t be pushing more than 450W through your GPU with an 850W PSU, but it’s a limitation to note nonetheless.
The PSU includes a 0 RPM mode for the fan, along with two 8-pin EPS cable, two dual 8-pin PCIe cables, a single 16-pin cable, two SATA cables, and a Molex cable. It also comes with overcurrent, overvoltage, over power, under voltage, over temperature, and short circuit protections. — Jake Roach
Get into MSI's MAG 272UP 4K OLED display for an all-time low price
32" 4K OLED monitors are the superstars of gaming displays right now, but if you'd rather have a denser 27" 4K display instead, Amazon has you covered with an all-time low price of $649.99 on MSI's MAG 272UP X24, making it the cheapest 27" 4K OLED we've seen by a wide margin.
Get MSI's sweet MAG 272UP 27" 4K 240Hz OLED gaming monitor and enjoy 4K UHD detail, vivid color, incredible contrast, and crystal-clear motion. View Deal
The MAG 272UP comes packed with all the premium features you'd expect from a cutting-edge QD-OLED gaming monitor, including 99% DCI-P3 gamut coverage and DisplayHDR 400 True Black certification for vivid color and incredible contrast. You'll also enjoy enviably clear motion thanks to OLED's near-instant response times.
A DisplayPort 1.4a connector and two HDMI 2.1 ports are ready for your PC and consoles, and a USB Type-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode support can charge connected devices with 15W PD. Get this sweet display for its cheapest ever price this Prime Day.
This ABS Cyclone Aqua prebuilt is on sale for $1,049 with an RTX 5060, Core i5-14400F, and 32GB of memory
One of the cheapest prebuilt deals we’ve seen so far on Prime Day, the ABS Cyclone Aqua comes with a Core i5-1440F, RTX 5060, 32GB of DDR4-3200 memory, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. We’ve seen some prebuilts with this configuration for around $900, but only with 16GB of memory. This is the cheapest we’ve seen with a 32GB configuration.
The ABS Cyclone Aqua features an Intel Core i5-14400F, RTX 5060, a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and 32GB of DDR4-3200 memory. View Deal
ABS is Newegg’s house brand for custom-built PCs, so the specific components are actually listed. In this case, the RTX 5060 is Zotac’s Twin Edge OC model, while the memory is a kit from G.Skill’s Ripjaws V line. The SSD, meanwhile, is a Kingston SNV3S 1TB drive. The machine also sports an ASRock B760M-C/D4 motherboard and 650W 80 Plus Gold power supply.
Based on our most recent testing, there’s a growing gap in performance between DDR4 and DDR5 platforms, though that mostly applies to the higher-end of CPUs. The Core i5-14400F will see lower performance with DDR5 in most games, with older titles seeing little to no performance loss and newer titles dropping by upwards of 15%. — Jake Roach
Get the Netgear Orbi 770 Wi-Fi 7 mesh router (2-pack) for only $424
The Netgear Orbi 770 has received a steep price cut in time for the latest Prime Day festivities. The 2-pack carries a list price of $549.99, but is currently available with a $125 discount,taking the price to $424.99.
The main node (router) features three 2.5 GbE LAN ports and a dedicated 2.5 GbE WAN. The second node (satellite) only features two 2.5 GbE ports. Regarding wireless connectivity, the Orbi 770 supports 2.4 GHz at up to 688 Mbps, 5 GHz at up to 4,320 Mbps, and 6 GHz at up to 5,760 Mbps. It also covers up to 5,550 square feet, which should be more than adequate for most homes.
The Orbi 700 Wi-Fi 7 mesh router is designed to envelope a spacious 5,500 square feet of space with peak speeds of up to 11 Gbps. These speedy routers come with three 2.5 GbE LAN ports and a single 2.5 GbE WAN port. View Deal
We reviewed the Orbi 770 (3-pack) when it first hit the market and praised its performance and utility, but lamented its price tag. This week’s sale most certainly addresses the pricing concerns.
Replenish your thermal paste reserves with Arctic MX-6 at less than $1/gram
If you go through a lot of thermal paste as we do in the TH labs (either for benchmarking, PC building, or graphics card TIM refreshments), you always want to have plenty on hand, as getting caught short can throw a wrench into emergency repairs on an overheating system or stop a component replacement cold. If you need to refresh your toolkit, Amazon has 8g tubes of Arctic's MX-6 for $7.49, a great low price and less than $1/g.
Arctic's MX-6 is our pick for the best premium thermal paste, and Amazon is selling this 8g tube of it for less than $1/gram during Prime Day. Replenish your supply while it's cheap. View Deal
MX-6 is easy to apply, performs great, stays put with time, and cleans up without a fuss, so it does everything you want from a thermal compound and nothing you don't. I've used it on my CPUs and the eldest GPUs in the TH arsenal without hesitation, and it's always good to have more around. Pick some up on the cheap during this Prime Day. -- Jeff Kampman
Skytech has the ultimate gaming rig with an RTX 5090 and Ryzen 7 9800X3D on sale for $5,000
$5000 is a lot of money to spend on a PC, but considering how expensive RTX 5090s are, that's really not a bad price. Currently, the cheapest RTX 5090 you can buy will run you $4,200, and that's on sale. This Skytech rig somehow managed to cram 32GB of DDR5-6000 memory, a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, 2TB of storage, and all the other trimmings into that remaining $800.
This Skytech gaming PC comes with an RTX 5090, Ryzen 7 9800X3D, 32GB of DDR5 memory, and 2TB of storage, giving the the most powerful gaming components currently on the market in a Lian-Li O11 Vision case. View Deal
With prices right now, you wouldn't be able to build this same PC for less money (it'd run you a few hundred dollars more, at least). The barnds for each component vary, but Skytech is using a motherboard with the X870 chipset, alongside a PCIe Gen4 2TB NVMe SSD. — Jake Roach
Get the original SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless at an all-time low price of $237.49
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is an all-out wireless headset, sporting a dedicated base station that doubles as a charger and 2.4GHz receiver, alongside two batteries, active noise cancellation, and simultaneous Bluetooth. The abundant features, plus a healthy dose of excellent sound quality, earned the headset an Editor’s Choice award in our SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless review.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro features 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connections, active noise cancellation, and a base station and two removable batteries. View Deal
It’s a headset that wants to do it all, and it does a fairly good job. Although I’ve mainly used my own pair for gaming, I’ve taken them on a couple of trips, as well. The ANC isn’t top-shelf like what you find on mainstream Sony and Bose headsets, but it still does a decent job isolating the sound while you’re on a plane. I mainly like them in a desktop setup, however.
The base station does a lot for the Arctis Nova Pro headset, allowing you to hotswap batteries, tweak EQ settings, and switch between two devices connected via USB-C. You can actually take both of those outputs into the SteelSeries Sonar software and blend them, allowing you to listen to two different sources at once. — Jake Roach
Add a great thermal camera to your toolbox with Topdon's TC002C Duo
A thermal camera is one of those handy tools that you might not need every day, but when you need it, you need it. Whether you need to figure out why something electronic "smells hot" or track down an air leak from a door or window, a good thermal camera makes the job quick and easy. And you can also just point it at your cat or dog for science.
(Image credit: Future)
If you don't yet have a thermal camera of your own, Topdon's TC002C Duo is the thermal imager we use in the TH labs for tasks like checking the temperature of power cables and laptops. It's surprisingly sensitive and has a high-resolution IR sensor for detailed images. And the companion app offers all sorts of neat visualization options. It's great, in other words, and Amazon has it for an all-time low price of $229.89 this Prime Day.
Topdon's TC002C Duo is an exceptionally useful thermal imager with broad device compatibility and a crisp IR sensor with a relatively high resolution and refresh rate. It's at an all-time low price this Prime Day. View Deal
When you're buying a phone-dependent device like this, you want a tool, not a toy. You want it to last through multiple devices and work across vendors. The TC002C Duo has a USB-C connector and companion apps for iOS and Android, so you can be assured it'll work no matter who needs to use or borrow it. And it draws power from the host device, so it's always ready to go, unlike models with batteries that have to be charged separately and are never at the ready. Get this exceptionally handy tool for an all-time low price today. --Jeff Kampman
Get the Asus ROG Azoth X for $100 off its current retail price
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Asus' Azoth line of wireless mechanical gaming keyboards are premium — and they usually come with a premium price. But you can grab the ROG Azoth X for just $169.99 at Best Buy right now, which is $100 off its listed retail price of $269.99 (though, when it debuted, it was priced at $299.99).
This 75-percent wireless gaming keyboard features hot-swappable switches, bright RGB backlighting, and a unique gamer-friendly aesthetic.View Deal
The ROG Azoth X is a 75-percent wireless mechanical gaming keyboard with a hot-swappable PCB and extra attention paid to case dampening. It features a distinct white case with the company's "Stellar" themed keycaps, which are white and black with accents in a blue-red gradient. It has an aluminum top plate and a plastic bottom case and a small OLED screen in the upper right corner. It offers a solid typing and gaming experience, though I didn't love the extra dampening in the space bar when I tested it (this is easy to remove or swap out, however). It comes with a soft-touch wrist rest and has bright RGB backlighting that displays especially well against the white case. You can read my full review of the ROG Azoth X here. — Sarah
Guard your PC setup against surges, brownouts, and blackouts with APC's Back-UPS Pro BR1500MS2 1500VA/900W UPS
Amid the RAMpocalypse and NANDpocalypse, no PC or component is disposable. Acts of God like lightning strikes, power surges, brownouts, and blackouts that we might have accepted as troublesome but rare inconveniences in the recent past can now do apocalyptic damage to your wallet as well as your PC. So you should plug your valuable gear into a uninterruptible power supply as insurance. I can personally attest to the reliability of APC's Back-UPS Pro BR1500MS2, on deep discount at $218.99 at Amazon this Prime Day.
A high-end UPS is essential insurance for your expensive PC setup, and APC's Back-UPS Pro BR1500MS2 offers plenty of capacity and runtime for the most demanding rigs. View Deal
This 1500VA/900W unit has 10 outlets (six of which are battery-backed, all of which are surge-protected), so it fully protects the Tom's Hardware GPU lab test bench. It has plenty of capacity to let you ride out temporary power dips or gracefully shut down your gear in the face of extended outages. And its true sine wave output plays nicely with all types of electronic loads, so you can rest easy in the knowledge that any gear you plug into it will keep running if an outage does occur.
As a bonus, this unit has USB Type-A and USB Type-C charging points on its front panel, so you can always tap into it if you need to charge a phone or other small devices in a pinch. I've relied on this unit (and another, smaller one in its series) to protect all my gear for years. Get one for your own invaluable electronics this Prime Day. -- Jeff Kampman
Logitech's ergonomic Lift mouse is now just $54
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Stave off carpal tunnel syndrome with an ergonomic vertical mouse for just $60. Logitech's Lift mouse is a vertical mouse designed for smaller hands that comes in both left- and right-handed configurations, and it's currently just $54.14 at Amazon — down 32% from its normal retail price of $79.99.
This ergonomic vertical mouse puts your hand at a natural 57-degree angle and gets up to 2 years of battery life. It also works with Logi+ Flow. View Deal
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The $54.14 price is only for the right-handed version in pink, but the other colors and variations are also on sale — even the left-handed version is down to $59.99. The Lift is a vertical mouse that puts your wrist at a comfortable 57-degree angle, instead of the flat angle most mice force your wrists into. This is a more natural angle (the "handshake" angle) and is designed to put less stress on the wrist and hand when you're working and moving your mouse all day long. The Lift is a wireless mouse with a maximum resolution of 4,000 DPI, and it gets up to two years' worth of battery life off a single AA battery. You can read my full review of the Logitech Lift here. — Sarah
The Prime Day sales give us the opportunity to take a look at gadgets and tools that we probably wouldn't immediately think of or wouldn't necessarily spring to mind, but you absolutely know you'd want to buy them when you see them. This "SinLoon" external power button, on sale and priced at just $11.19, fits into this exact category.
Unlike a CPU or a GPU, there isn't a long list of specs to share for an item like this: it's an external power button for your PC. It comes with a two-meter header cable to connect to your PC's front panel, a splitter to make it work with your existing case cables, and a pair of mechanical keyboard keys for powering down or restarting.
This slick external power button features a 2-meter (78.74 inch) cable and a splitter that lets you connect both to your case's front panel buttons. It also includes adhesive pads and zip-ties.View Deal
That's not to understate how much detail has gone into making this. The inclusion of mechanical keyboard keys, made to look like they're straight from a top-spec gaming keyboard, with RGB lighting to boot, is a bit of a showstopper. Unbelievably, SinLoon reckons that these keys are good for over 5 million keystrokes: that's a lot of PC shutdowns and restarts in your future.
Setting it up is easy enough, too, depending on the access to your PC's front panel headers. If you've built a PC, you'll have dealt with this already, connecting your motherboard up so that the power button works. Same process with this, and along with cables for shutting your PC, you've also got connectors for the power and disk access LEDs.
The keys sit neatly in a smooth, black plastic case. The wiring, also black and mostly sheathed in glossy plastic, extends from the back. The wire does eventually split into various colored cables, with easy labels to help you figure out where to plug them in.
One neat addition, if you've wondered how this actually worked, is a 1-to-2 splitter. This lets you connect these cables and your PC's power and reset buttons together, so you don't lose the functionality on your case. This is a physical adapter, so even if the pinout isn't quite as expected, you can move the header cables around to match until it works. That said, if you want to totally bypass your PC's power button, you just need to connect the cables directly to your motherboard instead.
For just over $11, this is the flag bearer for impulse buying. You've never thought about a desktop power button before, but you're intrigued. It looks cool. But that doesn't mean it's just a trinket, a pointless item on your desk. This has practical use. There are plenty of people who'll want a power button setup like this. If your PC is in a difficult-to-reach place, or if you're finding it tricky to press a floor-bound power button.
If you're a maker or builder, you'll find use for it, too. If you're testing components, as we do at Tom's Hardware, you might find yourself with nothing more than a set of components built onto a motherboard: no case, no power button. Having a SinLoon button handy on your desk, to easily plug into your motherboard's headers, certainly makes the process a lot easier.
The $11.19 sale price for this SinLoon external power button is a great price. This won't change your life, but it might make turning your PC on or off a little easier. It looks cool, it's built well, and it'll match the peripherals on your desk if you've got a mechanical gaming keyboard. For yourself or as a gift, grab this cool little desk feature while you can before the stock runs out.
At the rate that memory and storage prices keep rising, sometimes you can save hundreds of dollars by buying a prebuilt gaming PC as opposed to building it yourself. Lenovo has temporarily slashed the pricing of its Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 gaming PC by 33%, putting up to $1,430 in savings into your pockets. If you would rather purchase a prebuilt system than assemble one yourself, Lenovo's gaming rig definitely deserves your attention.
There's really nothing to hate about the Legion Tower 7i Gen 10. The system has a Core Ultra 7 265K processor with 20 cores and a maximum boost clock speed of up to 5.5 GHz. It's the perfect fit for the high-end GeForce RTX 5080. The powerhouse combo has everything it needs to run the latest AAA games at 4 K resolution.
While some of the competition cut corners around memory and storage, the Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 has no compromises in either aspect. The gaming system has 32GB (2x16GB) of DDR5-5600 memory and a 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD for ample storage and speedy performance both in and out of games.
The Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 has very respectable specifications, including a Core Ultra 7 265K, GeForce RTX 5080, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.View Deal
In terms of cooling, the Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 leverages a 360mm AIO liquid cooler with a cooling capacity up to 250W. It's more than enough to keep the Core Ultra 7 256K cool during long gaming sessions. The motherboard provides Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity for the Internet and your wireless peripherals.
Similar gaming systems with a Core Ultra 7 265K with a GeForce RTX 5080 can go as high as $3,400, so the Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 at $2,899.99 is a very solid deal. Lenovo also includes a free three-month subscription to Xbox PC Game Pass with EA Play included to get your gaming adventure started. That's more than 100 titles for your to enjoy with your band-new premium gaming system.
We've rounded up the best gaming chair deals for Amazon Prime Day 2026, with a heavy emphasis on chairs we've actually tested and reviewed. The good news is that almost all the chairs on our list of best gaming chairs are frequently on some sort of discount — the bad news is that we still can't recommend a single ultimate, perfect, one-size-fits-all solution.
Luckily, gaming chairs range in price, size, style, aesthetic, and even adjustment and comfort level, so you should be able to find your new favorite seat — even if you're picky. We're checking deals around the clock to find the best options and keep this page up to date, but do be aware that many of these deals can be fleeting, so you'll need to act quickly if you see one you are interested in.
The TC100 gaming chair comes with lumbar support and a removable neck pillow, along with a recline angle of up to 160 degrees. View Deal
The T3 Rush has a padded neck cushion and memory foam lumbar support paired with a solid steel frame that reclines 90-160 degrees. You also get '4D armrests' that can be adjusted on virtually any axis. View Deal
Features an "active, forward leaning alignment," adjustable lumbar support, and passively-adaptive thoracic support. It has a foam-padded seat cushion and a mesh suspension backrest for breathability, as well as an adjustable neck rest. You can grab any of Herman Miller's chairs, including the Vantum, for 25% off during the company's Cyber Monday sale. View Deal
The Secretlab Titan Evo Lite is the company's more affordable entry into the Titan range. It comes with a simpler lumbar support curve for your back compared to the Titan Evo, along with non-swappable armrests, to help keep the costs down.View Deal
Razer's Fujin looks like an office chair, not a gaming chair, with its low back and all-mesh construction. It features tilt with up to 130-degree recline, height-adjustable lumbar support, and 3D arm rests that can be adjusted up/down, forward/backward, and left/right. View Deal
It's not the most adjustable gaming chair, but it does have 2D arm rests and built-in non-adjustable lumbar support, and it reclines a full 152 degrees. It's upholstered in soft, breathable fabric, which is a little harder to clean but much more comfortable than the Iskur V2's faux leather. View Deal
This well-built gaming chair features all sorts of adjustability — 4D arm rests, 152-degree recline, and lumbar support that can be adjusted horizontally, vertically, and in a "cross-plane path," meaning it can swivel left or right, which is perfect for people with unorthodox sitting styles. View Deal
This chair is built for those of us with large frames, with a 400lb rating and an extra-spacious 22" width and 20" depth. Other features include an adjustable footrest and lumbar support. View Deal
The Aeron has always been my favorite gaming chair — and task chair, as not much has been changed to make it "gamer-friendly" — it's mostly just all black (instead of varying shades of dark gray). It features the company's famous PostureFit adjustable/adaptable lumbar support and an all-mesh construction for breathability. It's currently "just" $1,351," which is better than the original $1,930 price (about 25% better, to be precise). View Deal
Herman Miller's Embody retails for just over $2,000 — it's quite a splurge. But it's also 25% off in the company's Cyber Monday sale — or just $1,533.75. Which is still a lot to pay for a chair (and still more than the $1,495 price tag it debuted with, almost 6 years ago), but if you can afford to splurge I'd keep this one in mind. With an articulated back rest, adjustable lumbar support, and gamer-friendly cooling materials, the Embody remains one of the most comfortable chairs we've tested. View Deal
If you're looking for robust lumbar support, you're looking for the Razer Enki. This fabric-and-faux-leather gaming chair features built-in lumbar support in the form of a pronounced lower back curve — it's not adjustable, but it's stronger support than you'll get from a pillow. The Enki is well-built, with 4D-padded armrests and a removable memory foam head/neck cushion, and it still reclines up to 152 degrees. View Deal
Secretlab's popular Titan Evo gaming chair features a choice of sizes, materials, and colors. Choose between a hybrid leather or softweave fabric covering. A cold-cure foam pebble seat helps to provide all-day comfort for gaming or work when sitting at your computer. 4D armrests, magnetic headrest, lumbar support, and height adjustment let you customize your seating position. The Secretlab Titan Evo is available in Small, Regular, and XL sizes for a more personalized fit.View Deal
Don’t miss out on this Tom’s Hardware Premium. Get a full year of access for just $29, or from $7 per-month. Get daily news analysis, deep dives into specialist topics in the semiconductor industry, as well as access to Bench, the largest benchmarking database around.View Deal
Secretlab's latest gaming chair innovation introduces NanoGen to the popular and successful Titan Evo range of gaming chairs. Featuring the same luxury features of the standard Titan Evo, such as 4D armrest, 4-Way L-Adapt lumbar support, and shaped pebble seat, the new Titan Evo Nanogen uses a new soft and durable hybrid leatherette and nanofoam composite. View Deal
The XL Kaiser 3 is designed for people who are up to 6'9" tall and weigh up to 395 pounds — if you don't fit into standard gaming chairs, this might be one of your only options. This gaming chair features 4-way adjustable lumbar support, 4D armrests, and 3D magnetic armrests. Right now it's on sale for $449, or $70 off MSRP.View Deal
Office Style Gaming Chair Deals
The most recent chair we've reviewed seems a little too good to be true — it's extremely comfortable, with motorized adjustable lumbar support, 4D arm rests, and full 160-degree recline. It also features an articulated backrest and a connected frame designed to move together, and it works well. But the company is brand-new, and we're not sure how long that lumbar support motor will last. However, it's a pretty good deal at $803, longevity notwithstanding. View Deal
SSD prices are out of control, but the Acer Predator GM7 is near its pre-shortage price right now on a Prime Day sale. The 4TB model is available for $469.99, which is 23% off its $609 MSRP. Although that’s the listed MSRP, the drive has actually sold for well above $700 throughout most of this year.
This is a PCIe 4.0 drive, so don’t expect the fastest speeds on the market. Still, for most applications, PCIe 4.0 offers plenty of speed. Based on testing in our Acer Predator GM7 review, the drive can rival other popular PCIe 4.0 drives like the WD Black SN850X and Samsung 980 Pro. Further, the drive maintained excellent efficiency throughout our testing.
Although we’ve seen much lower SSD prices in the past, this is a good deal considering the supply crisis the market is in. This drive is down to pre-shortage prices, which is about as much as we can ask right now. At the current price, the drive is about $0.12 per gigabyte, while most drives are selling for north of $0.15 per gigabyte.
The GM7 is a PCIe 4.0 drive that delivers sequential read speeds of up to 7,400 MB/s and sequential writes of up to 6500 MB/s, along with a five-year warranty. View Deal
This PCIe 4.0 SSD serves up 7.4 / 6.3 GB/s of sequential read/write throughput, and we measured it at over 1 million IOPS in our testing. It also comes with a five-year warranty with a brawny 1,300 TBW endurance rating. View Deal
The GM7 uses China-fabbed flash from YMTC, along with a Maxio MAP1602A controller. Although the GM7 is an Acer-branded drive, it's made by Biwin. Given the controller, you shouldn't expect the best performance out of the 2TB model, but that's not surprising considering the class of this drive.
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In our tests of the 1TB drive, the GM7 managed to outclass the Samsung 980 Pro and Crucial P5 (RIP) in our 3DMark tests, which focuses particularly on SSD performance in games. The fastest PCIe 4.0 drives like the Samsung 990 Pro offer better performance, but they're also much more expensive. The GM7 will still put any PCIe 3.0 drive to shame, and it can hang with popular PCIe 4.0 options.
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In a more intensive, sustained scenario, the GM7 still holds up. Although the P5 and 980 Pro squeeze out a small edge in a small 6.5GB file transfer, the GM7 maintains higher performance when transferring a large 50GB folder, perhaps due to the drive's excellent efficiency.
Soldering is a skill that every hobbyist should master. It doesn't matter whether you're taking your first steps or you're a seasoned pro, because you're going to need an essential bit of kit: a soldering iron.
Luckily, we've put together a good selection of soldering iron deals that are on sale during Amazon Prime Day this week. This is the perfect chance to grab the bull by the horns and upgrade with an iron that will last you through plenty of hefty projects. We've also got recommendations for solder, as well as kit to keep your workbench safe from fumes and heat.
Take your soldering with you with the Fnirsi HS-01
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The Fnirsi HS-01 is a great soldering iron for anyone who travels or who needs a soldering iron on the go, as our review makes clear.
It's USB-C with an included power supply, or you can use it with a power bank capable of 65W output. It's good for easy soldering, eliminating the need to search for a DC jack or outlet. The flexibility of both a DC and USB-C jack is nice to have, although with so many USB-C PD power banks on sale now, it's a luxury, not a necessity.
The Fnirsi HS-01 is a great soldering iron and well worth the money for those who solder in workshops or in the field.View Deal
This kit comes with the soldering iron, but there's also a 96W power supply, a high-quality USB-C cable, a stand, and a selection of soldering iron tips for precision soldering, along with larger tips for when you need to lay down the heat.
Controlling the Fnirsi HS-01 is all about the buttons, which let you control the temperature, as well as navigate the built-in OLED screen. Set your temperature, and the HS-01 will get up to the target temperature in seconds. It's also designed to let you switch holding positions if you're right or left-handed.
Hunker down for a long day of soldering with the Yihua 995D+
Every serious soldering hobbyist needs a desktop soldering station with hot air rework to take things to the next level. The Yihua 995D+ hot air rework station delivers just that, and it's a solid soldering station that will get the job done.
A great selection of soldering tips, a large LCD screen, clear controls and a bonus hot air rework wand make the Yihua 995D+ the best option for those who solder for a living.View Deal
The Yihua 995D+ can reach temperatures of 480 °C (896 °F), which gives more than enough heat to solder and reflow even the heaviest solder joint. This soldering station has excellent thermal properties, letting you start soldering speaker wire with ease.
The stand is compatible with right and left-handed users, as it's separated from the main station, so you'll have free access to the soldering iron while reducing the number of cables trailing across your workbench. It has three preset channels to let you switch between jobs quickly, and it feels great to handle, thanks to a non-slip coating and flexible silicone cord to stop any melting accidents. You've also got a good number of tips, from precision tips to heavy tips for large projects.
The hot air gun has a similar cable for protection and is easy to handle. You'll need to select the correct controls before using the central knob to handle temperature and airflow. After that, it's easy to control both.
The Yihua 995D+ is an excellent soldering station for both beginners and pros alike. It gets the job done, looks good, and keeps more cash in your pocket.
Don't need hot air but need a desktop soldering station? The Yihua 939D+ is for you.
If all you need is a reliable and compact desktop soldering station, then the Yihua 939D+ is a good option. This compact soldering station comes with a temperature range of 392°F to 896°F (200°C to 480°C) and ships with a selection of soldering tips to cover many different use cases, from precision to bulky solder joints.
A solid and dependable soldering station that reduces the cost by omitting hot air rework functionality. This is a soldering station that I could personally use all day, everyday!View Deal
It comes with 75W of power, making it suitable for heavier solders like speaker cables. Use the dial to control your settings and the LED display will update accordingly.
Helping hands for successful soldering
Soldering can be a tricky task to complete, and an extra pair of hands is always welcome. Luckily, you don't need a pair of human hands to get the job done, as this helping hands tool can substitute perfectly.
Soldering veterans will know the less-than-glossy metal armature and magnifying glass combos that are available, but this set of helping hands is a little bit different. It comes as a magnetic base, clips, and posts that help to grip your circuit boards as you solder.
With five alligator clips and six posts designed to hold your PCB firmly to the magnetic base, your hands are free to concentrate on soldering up your next project.View Deal
Measuring 11.41 x 7.08 inches (29 x 18 cm), this magnetic helping hands kit is sturdy for holding your PCBs while giving you a choice as to how it holds them. The five flexible alligator clips are used to clamp and hold circuit boards a little nearer to the user. The flexibility of the armatures means that both sides of the PCB can be seen, remaining accessible for soldering either way.
If you need more rigidity, the six posts are used to clamp to the edge of the board you're soldering, which is useful if you're soldering just one side. This is ideal for a maker with plenty of tasks on his sheet.
Keep soldering on, with lead-free and leaded solder.
You'll want lead-free solder if you're planning on soldering. It's the gold standard, it's safer, and it avoids the environmental issues that come with traditional leaded solder.
Lead-free solder is the gold standard these days. Any modern electronics will have components soldered using lead-free solder. It's safer than traditional leaded, and avoids the environmental issues, such as lead leakage during bad disposal. It's the safest option if you're planning on making anything you go on to sell, too.
Lead-free solder is better for the environment, and it means you can build and sell products that are made using it.
A mix of 97% tin, 0.3% silver and 0.7% copper, this 0.5mm diameter solder has a flux rosin core so it flows neatly around your solder joints.View Deal
That said, there's still a case for leaded solder, especially if you're using it for yourself (and you take precautions).
The solder below is worth considering if you need it. It's a mix of 63% tin to 37% lead, which is a decent mix, and should produce good solder joints.
Lead solder is still great for personal use, and this 0.8mm rosin core 63/38 tin / lead mix will melt great and produce shiny and reliable solder joints.View Deal
Keep your workbench safe from hot soldering irons
Every maker is going to have a workbench that has seen one or two accidents. If you want to avoid any permanent damage, you'll want to pick up one of these sillicone soldering mats.
This silicone repair mat will keep your workbench free from scratches and soldering iron burns. The included magnetic pads and screw organizer will make sure every screw goes back in at the end.View Deal
Silicone soldering mats are an essential buy for a hobbyist. They'll keep the heat from your soldering iron away from the workbench, and often have extra positions to keep screws in one place and to stop magnetics from falling off your bench.
Good for taking apart a laptop, for instance. It'll keep your screws safe, the bench burn-free, and it'll help you from scratching the chassis, too. When you're done, you can just roll it up and put it away.
Stay safe soldering with a fume extractor
Lead-free or not, you're going to see fumes when you're soldering. It isn't a great idea to breathe these in, so a fume extractor can help you to improve the air quality around you as you work.
Keep your lungs healthy by removing the flux fumes and solder smoke from the air. This tiltable solder fume extractor works from up to five inches away and pulls the offensive fumes through an activated carbon filter to keep the air fresh. You get extra filters in the boxView Deal
Extractors work, as you'd expect, by using a fan to suck smoke and fumes from the air, directly into an activated carbon filter, with clean air passing through the back of it. This extractor uses a high-speed fan to do it, keeping high suction from up to five inches away: plenty of space for you to solder in comfort.
This extractor comes with four rubber feet, so it won't move around, and the locking tilt mechanism helps you point it to the right places as you work. It also has fenders on both sides of the fan to stop any breezes from moving fumes away from the unit, as it keeps you safe.
There are plenty of great deals out during Amazon's Prime Day 2026 sales event, with discounts on Intel, AMD, and Nvidia's latest mobile hardware. We're constantly combing through the best deals across multiple retailers, backing up our deal selections with in-depth reviews, benchmarks, and comprehensive historical pricing analysis. We're checking deals around the clock to find the best options and keep this page up to date, but please note that they often won't last long, so you'll need to act quickly.
There may also be some older laptops, which you should definitely avoid. For instance, anything older than one generation is better off avoided. If you have the cash, spring for a system with a GPU that has at least 8GB of VRAM, as well as 16GB of RAM and at least 512GB of storage.
This 16-inch gaming laptop from HP/HyperX sports Windows 11 Home operating system, AMD's Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and dedicated graphics from an Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU. The 2K screen has a 1920 x 1200px resolution with up to 165Hz refresh rate for smooth gaming frame rates.
This bargain gaming laptop with a QHD+ resolution and staggering 240Hz refresh rate uses AMD's Ryzen 9 8940HX processor, Nvidia RTX 5060 graphics, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. Other features include Wi-Fi 6e connectivity and USB-C ports for your peripherals. View Deal
One of the best-priced gaming laptops on our list, this model of the Acer Nitro V contains an Intel Core 7 240H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 laptop graphics, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The IPS screen on this laptop measures 16 inches and sports a 180Hz refresh rate. View Deal
Get a great deal on the Acer 16-inch Predator Helios Neo 16 AI gaming laptop. This is a speedy laptop with an RTX 5070 Ti GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of M.2 storage.View Deal
Get a whopping 32GB of RAM for an unbelievable price in this gaming laptop from Acer. Powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 260 processor and an Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU. View Deal
Lenovo's Legion 5i gaming laptop contains an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX 24-core processor and Nvidia RTX 5070 GPU with 8GB of GDDR7 VRAM, 32GB of DDR5 memory, and a 1TB M.2 SSD for storage. View your games and media content on the gorgeous 15.1-inch OLED display with a fast 165Hz refresh rate. View Deal
The same specs as the model above, but with the RTX 5090 swapped out for an RTX 5080, saving you a bit of cash if you don't need the world's best laptop GPU in your rig.View Deal
This Acer Nitro V 15 includes a 10-core Intel Core i7-13620H CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 GPU, 15.6-inch FHD IPS 165Hz display, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, a 512GB Gen 4 SSD, and Wi-Fi 6 support. There's room to expand here, too, with support to upgrade to 32GB of RAM and an even bigger SSD further down the line.View Deal
A superb budget gaming laptop with enough power to breeze through the latest games. This large 16-inch laptop features an AMD Ryzen 7 260 processor, an Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU, a 165Hz display, 16 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB SSD —a sleek, well-rounded laptop built for performance and value. (model: 3VHK3US894SH)View Deal
This Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 comes equipped with a Core Ultra 9 285H, RTX 5070, 16GB of memory, 1TB of storage, and a 240Hz OLED display. View Deal
In a Best Buy limited-time deal, you can pick up this Acer Nitro V 16 gaming laptop with RTX 5070 GPU for a sweet $50 off. Other specs include a 16-inch FHD+ screen with an Intel Core 7 240H CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD for storage. View Deal
This model of the Rog Strix G16 from Asus comes with a screen measuring 16 inches, with an FHD+ resolution, a 16:10 screen ratio, and refresh and response rates of 165Hz and 3ms, respectively. Hardware inside this gaming laptop includes Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5060 laptop GPU, an Intel Core i7 14650HX processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB Gen 4 SSD for storage. For online gaming, the laptop has Wi-Fi 7 built in. View Deal
The Asus V16 comes equipped with an RTX 5070 mobile GPU, Core 7 240H CPU, 16GB of user-upgradeable memory, and 1TB of NVMe storage. View Deal
This Acer Predator Helios AI deal features an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU with 24GB of fast GDDR7 VRAM, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of SSD storage. It's a powerful gaming laptop with an imposing 16-inch OLED display and blazing-fast 240Hz refresh rate. View Deal
This super-powerful gaming laptop packs the world's most powerful gaming GPU. Inside the Legion Pro 7i is Nvidia's RTX 5090 GPU with 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM, a 24-core Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1TB SSD, and WiFi 7. Games will look and play great on the 16-inch 2560 x 1600 pixel WQXGA OLED screen with blistering 240Hz refresh rate.View Deal
Our first Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI deal features an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti laptop GPU with 12GB of fast GDDR7 VRAM, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. It's a massive gaming laptop with an imposing 18-inch IPS display and blazing-fast 240Hz refresh rate. View Deal
This slightly beefier version uses the same screen, Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, and Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti GPU, but upgrades the DDR5 RAM to 32GB and doubles the storage capacity with a 2TB Gen 4 SSD. View Deal
Don’t miss out on this Tom’s Hardware Premium. Get a full year of access for just $29, or from $7 per-month. Get daily news analysis, deep dives into specialist topics in the semiconductor industry, as well as access to Bench, the largest benchmarking database around.View Deal
This Omen laptop variant keeps an almost identical component specs list, but swaps the Intel CPU for the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 CPU. This model still uses the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. View Deal
The RTX 4050 is Nvidia's last-gen entry-level GPU, but it's still powerful enough for gaming at 1080p in most games on medium graphics presets. The 15.6-inch screen on this HP Victus laptop supports a 144Hz refresh rate, while 16GB of RAM means you're only compromising on storage, with a 512GB SSD included, along with an AMD Ryzen 7 7445HS CPU.View Deal
Dell's flagship consumer laptop is available in a configuration with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage.View Deal
Get a deal on this Aurora 16-inch laptop with a 120Hz display. Under the hood, you get a Core 7 240H CPU, 32GB of RAM, and an Nvidia RTX 5060, plus a 1TB SSD. View Deal
The MSI Katana HX is a solid peforming gaming laptop, featuring an Intel Core i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 5050 GPU, making for solid 1080p performance on a laptop, and you even get four-zone RGB lighting.View Deal
There are exactly two things every PC has in common: it needs power and it needs to be cooled. Modern-day desktops mostly scale linearly in cost, with higher-end builds typically opting for liquid cooling over conventional air cooling. As such, today, we've rounded up some of the best AIOs we could find as part of Amazon's Prime Day Deals, along with a nice little cameo of tradition at the end. All of these coolers represent great value, and you can't go wrong with any of them. We also have a much, much more expansive list in our Best Amazon Prime Day CPU Cooler deals 2026 article.
First up, we have the Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240, a 240mm AIO liquid cooler that comes with two 120mm RGB fans and a similarly RGB-illuminated pump block featuring aa frosted hexagonal design. The supplied Dual Elite 120mm fans can spin between 600 and 2,100 RPM, are designed to remain quiet during operation.
The Elite Liquid 240 supports all the major Intel and AMD sockets currently available. Cooler Master usually sells this for around $60, but you can have it for 33% off today for the white version.
Get a great deal on the Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240 AIO. This 240mm cooler supports modern Intel and AMD platforms and is great for a small form factor build where you can't use a 360mm radiator. There is black, too, but it's not on sale at this time.View Deal
If you're tired of all the RGB bling and just need an AIO that works exceptionally well, look no further than the Arctic Liquid Freezer Pro 360. While you don't get even RGB LED, the performance when we reviewed this cost-effective beast was the strongest AIO we've tested, "bar none." It also had chart-topping noise-normalized performance and a long six year warranty.
One of the best AIO coolers money can buy, and now it's even cheaper than ever before. Making flagship performance, looks, and features more accessible for the masses, all while being backed up with long 6-year warranty. And best of all, no RGBs!View Deal
Maybe you need a deal on a black 240mm AIO. Corsair's iCue Link Titan 240 RX RGB AIO now has a massive price drop and is now found under $80. While it doesn't have a screen, the 2 120mm RGB fans and pump block have enough bling to keep you happy.
The AIO supports a wide range of processors including AMD AM4/5, and Intel's, 115x/1200/1700/1851. The included RX RGB fans run from 0-2,100 RPMs and eliminates noise entirely at low temperatures.
$5 off w/promo cose phaf448
Get an incredible deal on the 240mm Corsair iCUe Link Titan 240EX AIO. Just $80 gets you a high-quality AIO at a hefty discount for Prime Day.View Deal
If you're into these large screens and like the look of the new curved versions, the Tryx Panorama SE 360 ARGB is a solid contender, but it's pricey. Normally $279.99, it's on sale at Newegg for $251.99 and it's lowest price since April 2026.
The 2K 6.67-inch rotatable AMOLED screen is the star of the show with high res, 400 nit brightness screens. It comes with pre-loaded animations or you can use your own. According to our review, it performed well with low noise levels and good noise-normalized performance so you don't need to worry about noise, or keeping your processor cool.
Get one of the coolest looking AIOs at a discount for Prime Day. The Tryx Panorama SE 360 AIO has a huge 6.67-inch rotable AMOLED curved screen, a 280W TDP, and supports AM4/5 from AMD and Intel's 115X/1200/1700/1851 sockets for wide compatbility. View Deal
Before you leave, there's one more thing. If you want the solid cooling while spending as little as possible, then you can't go wrong with PCCooler RT720 TC ARGB. Unlike the options we've discussed so far, this is an air cooler that eliminates many of the complexities of AIO and replaces them with affordable, reliable cooling.
This dual-tower cooler is said to support up to 265W and comes with two 120mm hydraulic-bearing fans (500-2000 RPM) with 3.28mm-H20 for a nice balance of cooling and quiet operations.
For those seeking a great value, it's hard to beat an air cooler. With great aesthetics and solid performance to boot, the PCCooler RT720 TC packs in everything you need to tame your budget build, topped off by a generous 2-year warranty.View Deal
Every cooler on this list is a great choice, offering solid performance at affordable prices that are not often found. Our top pick is the Thermalright Grand Vision because it offers a screen at a price where such novelty is unheard of. However, the options from Cooler Master, MSI, Corsair, and our cameo from Thermaltake will all tame your beastly processors just fine. Make sure to do your research, look at reviews, and don't hesitate to splurge if this is an upgrade you've been holding out on for a long time.
Do you or someone you know have a Nintendo Switch 2? What about accessories for your new console? Whether you want to play with others, increase your storage, or add functionality, you may want some extras to deliver the best gameplay experience possible, and now is the best time to score a big deal on them during Prime Day 2026.
There are many official, licensed accessories alongside third-party extras available at a wide range of prices. It's Prime Day 2026, so now is an excellent time to hunt for deals and the best prices on Switch 2 peripherals and accessories.
One of the most important extras you'll most likely want to pick up is a microSD Express memory expansion card. The least expensive out now is Nintendo's own (SanDisk) 256GB card, but there are other, faster models available for a pittance more (see below). If you know that's what you want, check out our handy list of the best Prime Day microSD Express card deals for the Switch 2. Just be aware that pricing has absolutely skyrocketed, along with RAM, Storage, and video cards, in the last several months, so don't be shocked. Still, we found the best deals that we could.
Other accessories to consider are screen protectors, carrying cases, and peripherals such as controllers, headsets, and cameras, as listed below.
Give your Switch 2 the storage boost it needs. With fast speeds and respectable endurance, the P9 Express from Samsung is one of the best microSD Express cards you can get for your Nintendo Switch 2, with maximum sequential read speeds of up to 800 MB/s.View Deal
The Killswitch Ultra pack from Dbrand combines protective features and ergonomic enhancements to enhance your console experience. Included is the rugged Killswitch protective case/skin, a hard travel cover, 2x screen protectors, thumb-stick grips, and a dock adapter, as the Switch 2's girth increases with the Killswitch cover and will not fit in the standard dock.
The Killswitch skin not only protects against bumps but also increases the thickness of the side Joy-Con grips for a better handheld experience. View Deal
A rugged protective skin that fits around the Nintendo Switch 2, offering limited protection against bumps and scrapes, and also changing the ergonomics of the console in your hands. It also comes with AluminaCore glass screen protector.View Deal
Protect your thumb sticks during travel, and also adapt how your Switch 2 thumb sticks feel when you're gaming. A choice of different sizes of thumb stick covers lets you choose your preference. View Deal
If you're thinking about, or already using a camera for your Switch 2, most of the styles out there are pretty boring. Most are just a camera on a stick, or may even clip to the device. I found something unique, the officially licensed Piranha Plant Camera! Relive your days of Mario and the feared plant that comes out of the pipes, but on your desk - and for less than the price of the official Nintendo Switch 2 camera-on-a-stick.
The Nintendo Switch 2 camera lets you join your friend on screen in party chat for multiplayer fun. The camera sports a 1080p resolution and connects via USB-C.View Deal
If you're tired of the same old camera on a stick for your Switch 2, check out list officially licensed piranha plant camera and change things up. It captures 640x480 resolution at 30 FPS.View Deal
We also added another Switch 2 Pro-class controller on top of the official Nintendo Pro controller. 8bitDo's Ultimate 2 bluetooth controller is one of my kids' favorites. For less than the cost of the Nintendo controller, the Ultimate 2 offers TMY joysticks, switchable hall effect/tactile triggers, vibration and motion control. It is a lower resolution (640x480), however. The best part? It's it's on sale right now.
If you need a new, or another, controller for your PC, Switch/Switch 2, iOS/Android device (Tri mode), GameSir's Super Nova is on sale now at a great price. You get 1,000 Hz polling rate, Anti-drift Hall Effect sticks and trigger, rubberized grips, and RGB lighting with 1,000mAh battery. It comes in three colors, the blue, ping and white, and red and white (pink is the least expensive). GaView Deal
8BitDo's Ultimate 2 Controller is a less expensive replacement for the Nintendo Pro controller. It comes with TMR joysticks and switchable Hall Effect/Tactile triggers, including vibration, motion control, and it's own charging dock.View Deal
Circular plastic steering wheel cases for your Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Cons that help to immerse you in a Switch 2 driving game, such as Mario Kart World. The Joy-Cons simply click into the cases for instant action. View Deal
The Nintendo Switch 2 burns through power quickly, so never be denied game time from a flat battery, thanks to the UGreen Power Bank. A massive 25,000 mAh lets you fully charge your Switch in no time. The charger comes with one 240W USB-C cables and one port outputs a maximum of 140W (200W output total). A handy TFT screen lets you keep tabs on power status and charging speeds.View Deal
Pop the USB-C adapter into your Switch 2 and connect wirelessly to your handheld console for clearer game sounds. The Arctis Nova 3X has a detachable microphone, soft, comfortable earpads and an elastic headband allow for hours of gaming without getting headset fatigue. View Deal
Whether you’re new to 3D printer or a seasoned pro working with these devices for several years, you need the proper set of tools to use and maintain your 3D printing equipment. So, if you don’t have a complete tool kit yet, it’s high time that you got one with the Creality 3D Printer Tool Kit. This 74-piece set is currently on sale for $25.49 on Amazon, giving you a 15% discount from its original $30 MSRP. This is just one of the deals on 3D printing tools and accessories you can get during Prime Day 2026, allowing you to save while building out your kit. We also have a metric ton of deals (yes, that's the official measurement) on 3D Printers in our Best 3D Printer Deals hub.
The Creality tool set comes with almost everything you need. It comes with a multi-functional screwdriver with 34 different screwdriver bits, including Philips, flathead, hex, Torx, Pentalobe, and tri-point. A universal swivel hose is included, making it easier to reach tight spaces without needing to disassemble everything around it or contort your arm into weird shapes. You also get a socket wrench, a multifunctional wrench, and an open-ended wrench for handling various nuts and bolts. When you need to clean up your 3D printer, you’ll find one needle and several nozzle cleaners for removing residual filament included in the kit, as well as a spatula and plastic blade for cleaning up surfaces.
The Creality 3D Printer Tool Kit comes with 74 tools that will help you use and maintain your 3D printer. It's also great for finishing off your 3D prints with accessories like the chamfer knife, engraving knife, and various files.View Deal
Aside from 3D printer maintenance, you also get several items useful for working on your projects after they come out of the 3D printer. These include a chamfer knife with a 360-degree rotating head, an engraving knife, and various files. You also get a pair of bent and straight tweezers for picking out stray fibers, plus a nipper for cleanly cutting small items. There are also several more items that we haven’t mentioned, so you should check out the deal if you want to see everything that’s included.
The best thing about this toolkit is that everything comes inside a simple storage bag that unrolls flat on your desk. That way, you can keep your tools organized while you’re working and ensure that you don’t lose one at the end of the day. And when you’re done with everything, you can just fold it back into a bag with a carrying handle, and you can easily stow it away in a drawer or your toolbox. So, if you’re planning to buy one of the best 3D printers this Prime Day 2026, consider adding this Creality 3D Printer Tool Kit to your cart as well.
SSDs are insanely expensive, but if you act quick, you can score a sweet deal on this 4TB Samsung 9100 Pro NVMe SSD. It's selling for well over $1,000 normally, but B&H has the drive on sale for $800, with an additional $340-off coupon applied at checkout, bringing the price down to just $460.
It is hard to overstate how good of a deal that is right now. Even among our best Prime Day SSD deals, most 4TB drives are far more expensive. For context, Samsung's 990 Pro is $950 right now, and that's on sale. This is a brand new Samsung drive, as well, fit with the full speed of PCIe 5.0.
At its current price, the 9100 Pro 4TB comes out to around $0.12 per gigabyte of storage, which is excellent considering current SSD prices. Most drives come out to $0.15 per gigabyte or higher, and that's after a sale.
This is an insane deal with the in-cart coupon added — grab it while it's hot!
This 4TB SSD features the PCie 5.0 interface and blasts out 14,800 / 13,400 MB/s of sequential read/write throughput, delivering top-tier performance within a reasonable power envelope that doesn't require bulky heatsinks. View Deal
The 9100 Pro is Samsung's PCIe 5.0 replacement for the legendary 990 Pro, and as you can see from the results we gathered in our Samsung 9100 Pro review below, it lives up to its predecessor.
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Although most builders are fine with a PCIe 4.0 drive, we're in a strange situation where this stronger PCIe 5.0 option is cheaper, at least at 4TB. High-capacity SSDs have been hit hardest by price increases, with drives now often retailing above $1,000.
There's a good chance this deal will sell out quickly. Make sure to secure your drive at B&H before the deal's over.
If you have been eagerly saving to purchase a flagship GPU for your gaming rig, now might be the right time. The Gigabyte Gaming OC GeForce RTX 5080 is available at a limited-period discount of $250 on Newegg, bringing the price down from $1,449.99 to $1,199.99. The discount is applicable by using the promo code ‘SQGIG753S2’ at the time of checkout (There is also a "click to generate code" button on the Newegg page).
The Nvidia RTX 5080 is one of the best graphics cards that you can get, but ever since its launch, the GPU has rarely come close to its MSRP of $999. It is currently the second most powerful Nvidia Blackwell consumer GPU with 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM using a 256-bit memory bus, and a memory bandwidth of 960 GB/s. It also features a total of 10,752 CUDA cores, a base clock of 2.3 GHz, which can further boost to 2.62 GHz.
The Gigabyte Gaming OC GeForce RTX 5080 is a factory-overclocked graphics card based on Nvidia's Blackwell architecture, featuring 16GB of GDDR7 memory and support for the latest technologies such as DLSS 4.5 and Multi Frame Generation. View Deal
The Gigabyte Gaming OC model of the RTX 5080 comes with a triple cooling fan configuration, along with server-grade thermal conductive gel to cool the internal components. It also features RGB lighting around the fans, a dual-BIOS feature, and the ability to boost even higher at 2.73 GHz. The company also offers up to four years of warranty on this GPU after online product registration.
We tested the RTX 5080 and found that it delivers great performance at 4K ultra settings, offering an average of 65 FPS and over 100 FPS at 1440p ultra. Notably, the gains are a lot when compared to the RTX 4080 Super by only 9% at 4K Ultra, and even less at 1440p and 1080p resolutions. That said, the RTX 5080 is one of the best in the business as it offers support for Nvidia’s latest technologies, including DLSS 4.5 with multi-frame generation and upgraded ray tracing hardware for a more fluid and visually appealing gaming experience.
Tom's HardwareTom's Hardware
While we have seen a few RTX 5080 cards briefly dip below the $999 MSRP, the Gigabyte Gaming OC GeForce RTX 5080 at $1,199.99 is one of the lowest-priced RTX 5080 models currently available. Don’t forget, you need to login to your Newegg account to use the above-mentioned promo code during checkout.
The most expensive of the bunch, this optical CD/DVD writer from SUIDEK upgrades the SATA dock to an M.2 SSD dock, but keeps the SD card reader, USB-A, and USB-C hub.View Deal
The BPAKDU drive gets you lots of media connectivity options. This attractive portable device, with a metallic honeycomb finish in four colors, can read and write optical media at CD 24X and DVD 8X speeds. That's not all, as it also offers a USB 3.0 hub, 3x USB 2.0 ports, SD and TF card slots readers, and a USB-C port.
BPAKDU's portable USB connected optical and media reader peripheral also has USB HUB functionality. This has you covered for all sorts of old CDs, DVDs, and flash cards you might have in the back of your tech cabinets.View Deal
Those who feel that some SATA docking functionality will be useful might want to look closer at the Suideck optical drive and dock. For your $36.60, you will have one portable device which can be used to read and write optical media at CD 24X and DVD 8X speeds. Again, there's a basic USB hub built in with 2x USB 2.0 ports, a USB-C port, plus SD and TF card readers. Extra appeal comes from the SATA 2.5-inch slot atop, which can be used for quick access to your old laptop hard drives or SSDs in what was once a very popular form factor.
This product listing isn't specific about things like DVD±R/RW, DVD-RAM support, but the exact same list of system/OS support is given: Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, XP, Vista, Linux, MacOS 10.6 or above.
A Swiss Army knife of media access?
Suideck's USB attached drive and dock is more flexible than the BPAKDU. It has very similar optical and flash media compatibility, and SD / TF slots but with its added 2.5-inch SATA slot. However, you pay $11 more for the privilege. View Deal
If the requirements expand a further stage to needing an M.2 SSD dock, the Suideck portable CD/DVD burner with USB Hub and M.2 Dock for $39.99 is the ultimate Swiss Army knife of portable external optical drives. We're also happy to see both brands' peripherals score 4.3/5 or better on the Amazon reviews, as we haven't tested these ourselves.
We're keeping an eye out for the best deals on prebuilt gaming PCs during Amazon Prime Day 2026 that you can find available online. Given the rising prices of PC components, there has never been a better time to buy a pre-built system. In a world of expensive RAM and SSDs, it can also be a great way to get your hands on brand-new gear cheaper than MSRP prices.
There are two ways to get into PC gaming: buying the individual parts and building your own rig, or purchasing a prebuilt system from a system integrator or big box store. Purchasing a ready-made gaming PC can save you the time and labor of building your own rig from scratch, and these days, it can also save you a pile of cash.
We select deals based on our in-depth knowledge gained from thorough reviews, expansive benchmarks, and extensive historical price analysis of pre-built gaming PCs. Prime Day sales season has started, so some great deals are already popping up, and we're checking deals around the clock to find the best options and keep this page up to date. For more options on gaming PCs, check out our lists of the best gaming PCs andthebest PC builds for gaming.
This low-price gaming setup packs Intel's Core Ultra 5 225F processor, 16GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 graphics card with 8GB of VRAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. View Deal
This CyberPowerPC rig is a powerhouse ready for gaming at 1440p and 4K (in some instances). It comes equipped with our favorite CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, along with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB DDR5, and a 2TB SSD for plenty of game installations.View Deal
The ABS Cyclone Aqua features an Intel Core i5-14400F, RTX 5060, a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and 32GB of DDR4-3200 memory. View Deal
This Alienware Aurora rig boasts an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Consider this for the gamer in your life without a ton of desk space.View Deal
This Skytech gaming PC comes with an RTX 5090, Ryzen 7 9800X3D, 32GB of DDR5 memory, and 2TB of storage, giving the the most powerful gaming components currently on the market in a Lian-Li O11 Vision case. View Deal
A powerful gaming PC from PC building outfit CyberPowerPC, this formidable rig comes equipped with the specs you'll need for serious 1440p and 4K gameplay. It has an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD.View Deal
This Corsair Vengeance PC comes with AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Radeon RX 9070 XT, plus 32GB of Corsair Vengeance RAM (not some knock off), and a 1TB SSD. View Deal
Inside the Element 9 gaming PC is a 16GB RTX 5060 Ti GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1TB M.2 SSD, and an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor. This is a low-cost budget gaming PC with some exceptional hardware that will excel at 1080p/1440p gameplay. View Deal
Get the impressive RTX 5070 Ti Nvidia graphics paired with AMD's Ryzen 7 9700X processor. Plenty of memory for gaming thanks to a large 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and room to install your favorite games on a 2TB SSD. View Deal
This liquid-cooled PC comes with Intel Core i5-14600K, RTX 5060, 16GB of Corsair Vengeance RAM, and 1TB SSD. View Deal
The MSI Codex (model: R2 B14NVL5-449US) comes with an Intel Core i5-14400F processor, Nvidia RTX 5060 graphics card, 32GB of DDR5-6000 memory, and 2TB of storage — a great budget gaming PC build.View Deal
Get a 5080 gaming PC with 32GB of RAM, 2TB SSD, liquid cooler, RGB fans, and Intel i9-14900KF. View Deal
This pre-built PC comes with Intel Core i5-14400F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB of DDR5, 1TB SSD, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11, and more. View Deal
This AM5 gaming PC comes with AMD's Ryzen 7 8700F, RTX 5070, 32GB of DDR5, and a 2TB SSD. View Deal
This CyberPower PC features Intel Core i7-14700F 2.1GHz, GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB, 16GB DDR5, 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and Wi-Fi, as well as Windows 11 Home. View Deal
This hefty Asus ROG comes with AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Radeon 9070 XT, 2TB SSD, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, Windows 11 Home, and more. View Deal
With Intel Core i5 14400F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 8GB, 16GB of DDR5, and a 1TB SSD, this gaming PC is much cheaper than trying to build your own budget gaming rig. View Deal
Packing one of the latest gaming GPUs, the Area-51 uses Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card and an Intel Ultra 9 285K processor. Other specs include 32GB of DDR5 RAM, a 2TB SSD, and a powerful 1500W platinum-certified power supply. View Deal
This CyberpowerPC comes with AMD Ryzen 7 8700F, GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB, 16GB DDR5, 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and Wi-Fi 6. You also get a free mouse and keyboard to get you started. View Deal
This Stormcraft Sirius comes equipped with an RTX 5060, Core i5-14400F, 16GB of DDR4-3200 memory, and 1TB of storage. View Deal
You can configure the HP Omen 45L to include an Intel Core Ultra 7 265K CPU, Nvidia RTX 5070 GPU, 1200W PSU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. You will need to manually configure the hardware before heading to checkout.View Deal
This configuration of the Alienware Aurora uses an Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti GPU, Intel Core Ultra 7 265F processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage for your OS and games library. A 240mm AIO cooler covers CPU cooling. All are contained within Alienware's Aurora PC case, featuring a clean, gamer aesthetic.View Deal
This CyberPower gaming PC model (GM 70929) packs the king of gaming CPUs, AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor, and also AMD's top-tier GPU offering, the Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card. This is quite the potent gaming setup, and it also includes 32GB of DDR5 memory and a 2TB SSD for storage. View Deal
Don’t miss out on this Tom’s Hardware Premium. Get a full year of access for just $29, or from $7 per-month. Get daily news analysis, deep dives into specialist topics in the semiconductor industry, as well as access to Bench, the largest benchmarking database around.View Deal
This Aegis R2 comes with Intel Core Ultra 9 285, RTX 5070 Ti, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD, and Windows 11. View Deal
This gaming PC is packed to the gills with the best gaming components. For high-end gaming graphics, the ABS Kaze II Ruby features an Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU, which is backed up by the excellent Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor — one of the most powerful gaming CPUs available. Other specs include 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 2TB SSD for storage. View Deal
There's a huge saving on this MSI gaming PC, which includes a Ryzen 7 8700F, an Nvidia RTX 5070, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. This system uses air cooling and has a 750W 80 Plus Gold power supply.View Deal
Gaming PC Specifications to look for
When looking for a new gaming PC, you need to pay special attention to specs. More recent and more powerful components are better, but this increases the overall price of the system. You can sometimes find gaming rigs that have last-generation parts that will still play games well and save some cash.
GPU: A choice between Nvidia, AMD, or Intel in your system will determine how well the computer game graphics are displayed on your monitor. Nvidia has the most powerful GPUs, with the likes of the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, but AMD's RX 9070 XT is also a great mid-range card. See our GPU hierarchy for an idea of GPU performance.
CPU: Either AMD or Intel will get the job done, but AMD currently rules the roost in pure gaming benchmarks, with the 9000-series X3D processors providing the best performance.
Memory: At a minimum, you'll want 16GB of RAM. Operating systems and browsers can swallow a huge chunk of your available system RAM before you even boot your game. Having 32GB of memory is ideal for gaming if you can splurge.
Storage: With the size of AAA games constantly expanding, you ideally want a minimum of 1TB of storage, preferably in the form of a fast M.2 SSD. You can do better than a spinning hard drive.
We're keeping a close eye on all the best SSD discounts during Amazon's 2026 Prime Day sales event and keeping a constantly-updated list here. Buying SSDs is not as cheap as it used to be, but there are still savings to be had, especially on newer drives.
External factors, such as tariffs and geopolitical issues, along with chip shortages, are pushing prices upward. In fact, it appears that shortages driven by AI data centers could persist for several years. That means prices will go up significantly in the foreseeable future. Luckily, for now, there are discounts available on some SSD models.
As always, you'll need to stay alert when you're choosing SSDs, as not every drive is born equal and worthy of your money or a place of honor in your PC or PS5. We're constantly combing through the best deals across multiple retailers, selecting the best of them based on the in-depth knowledge we've gained from our thorough reviews, extensive benchmarks, and comprehensive historical price analysis.
Get the 1TB version of the 9100 Pro for $206, around 20 cents per GB. Comes with 236-Layer Samsung TLC (V8) flash memory and is rated for sequential read and write speeds of 14,700 MB/s and 13,300 MB/s, respectively. View Deal
This drive is identical in spec, but its heftier discount means it is 17 cents per GB, so better value if you can stretch to the higher capacity. View Deal
This PCIe 4.0 SSD serves up 7.4 / 6.3 GB/s of sequential read/write throughput, and we measured it at over 1 million IOPS in our testing. It also comes with a five-year warranty with a brawny 1,300 TBW endurance rating. View Deal
The 4TB SN850P is identical in performance to the 2TB model. This drive also comes with a built-in heatsink to aid in cooling. The PlayStation 5 drive boasts a sequential 7,300 MB/s read and 6,600 MB/s write.View Deal
The GM7 is a PCIe 4.0 drive that delivers sequential read speeds of up to 7,400 MB/s and sequential writes of up to 6500 MB/s, along with a five-year warranty. View Deal
The nippy Crucial P310 1TB is replete with Gen speeds of up to 7,100MB/s. This would be the perfect drive as the storage module in a budget build, a quick M2 upgrade for booting your OS, or even for housing in a PS5. View Deal
Crucial's P510 is a step down from the company's T710 flagship, but it's still a scorching-fast PCIe 5.0 SSD promising 11 GBps sequential reads and 9.5 GBps writes, plus a five-year warranty. Our review praised the drive for its excellent sustained performance, and it's one of the more affordable Gen5 drives from a well-known brand. View Deal
This is an insane deal with the in-cart coupon added — grab it while it's hot!
This 4TB SSD features the PCie 5.0 interface and blasts out 14,800 / 13,400 MB/s of sequential read/write throughput, delivering top-tier performance within a reasonable power envelope that doesn't require bulky heatsinks. View Deal
The SN850P is a speedy PCIe 4.0 SSD for PCs, laptops, and the PlayStation 5. The drive boasts a sequential performance that peaks at 7,300 MB/s reads and 6,300 MB/s writes.
The 2TB SN850P also boasts fast sequential read/write speeds and is very slightly faster than the 1TB model on write speed. The 2TB drive peaks at 7,300 MB/s reads and 6,600 MB/s writes.View Deal
Save on this M.2 2280 4Tb PCIe 4.0 SSD with promo code FTTF462, which makes this the cheapest 4TB SSD on the market right now. View Deal
The fastest PCIe 4.0 SSD you can get, the Samsung 990 Pro offers sequential read and write speeds of 7,450 and 6,900 MB/s, respectively, along with 1.4 and 1.55 million IOPS. See our Samsung 990 Pro Review for more details.View Deal
The SN7100 is a single-sided SSD with the standard 2280 form factor. With 2TB of capacity, the SN7100 uses Sandisk's proprietary Polaris 3 controller and SanDisk's 218-Layer TLC (BiCS8), with speeds of up to 7250 MB/s read and 6900 MB/s write.View Deal
Perfect for a PS5 upgrade (or your PC), this superfast Gen 4 PCIe 4.0 SSD boasts rated read and write speeds of 7,300 and 6,600 MBps for blistering performance in gaming and programs that can make use of the drive's high bandwidth. This particular version comes with an included heatsink to help keep the SSD cool and reduce the chances of thermal throttling when under consistently high loads. View Deal
The Samsung 990 EVO Plus 4TB is now available at an all-time low price, boasting speeds of up to 7,250 MB/s, a five-year warranty that covers an impressive 2,400 TB of writes, and PCIe Gen 5x2/4x4 hybrid functionality.View Deal
The Crucial P310 2TB is among the best M.2-2230 SSDs that we've ever tested. Earning a four-star mark from our reviewer for its speed and capacity, the P310 2TB is a great pick at list price, and is a must-consider now that it's nearly 50% off. View Deal
Get a smaller 2TB drive with USB-C connectivity and read and write speeds of up to 1050 MB/s and 1000 MB/s, respectively.View Deal
Low price and high capacity storage. The SN850X is a speedy PCIe 4.0 SSD for PCs, laptops, and the PlayStation 5. The drive boasts a sequential performance that peaks at 7,300 MB/s reads and 6,600 MB/s writes.
This Samsung SN8100 is a PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 SSD with sequential read and write speeds of 14,900MB/s read and 14,000MB/s write speeds apiece. It isn't the best discount, but it's now at a new record-low price on Amazon.View Deal
Our benchmarks show the WD Black to be one of the fastest SSDs you can buy for your Steam Deck or ROG Ally, and now the 1TB model is 29% off. This drive delivers up to 5,150 / 4,900 MB/s of read/write throughput and 8 million Random write IOPS, along with a five-year warranty that covers 600 terabytes of endurance. View Deal
This SSD is notably fast and can reach read/write speeds as high as 7300 / 6300 Mbps. It uses a WD Proprietary controller and connects using a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface.View Deal
For those looking for the absolute cheapest upgrade for a Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, or any other handheld PC, the Kingston NV3 is your pick. Down to its lowest-yet price of $65.80, the budget SSD got solid marks from us (in its longer 2280 trim) for its budget stature, and its price somehow matches those of full-sized M.2 SSDs today. View Deal
Don’t miss out on this Tom’s Hardware Premium. Get a full year of access for just $29, or from $7 per-month. Get daily news analysis, deep dives into specialist topics in the semiconductor industry, as well as access to Bench, the largest benchmarking database around.View Deal
Crucial’s P3 Plus isn’t the best-performing drive by any measure, as we saw in our review. But it’s a PCIe 4.0 model rated to top 5,000 MB/s sequential reads and 4,200 MB/s writes, with a good 5-year warranty.View Deal
This SSD is suitable for casual and gaming use with impressively high speeds capping out at 5000 / 4800 Mbps. It uses an NVMe Gen 4 interface and has a 2TB storage capacity.View Deal
This is a more affordable SSD with moderate read/write speeds of 2200 / 1600 Mbps. It uses a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface and has a 2TB storage capacity.View Deal
When we reviewed the MP34 back in 2019, it was an excellent value, offering solid performance (it’s rated to 3,500/2,900 MB/s sequential reads/writes) and high endurance at competitive pricing. View Deal
No matter how demanding the task, the 4 TB 990 Pro SSD is ready to cruise through it with its industry-best PCIe 4.0 speeds, endurance, and efficiency. Backed by a 5 year warranty, this drive is the perfect storage upgrade to grab regardless of whether you're rocking a gaming PC or console.View Deal
This very big and very fast OWC external SSD gets you 8TB of storage and transfer speeds of up to 3836 MB/s. It comes with a 40 Gb/s USB4 Interface and a stylish aluminum enclosure, perfect for photo and video professionals. View Deal
The Crucial X10 Pro 8TB dishes out up to 2,100 / 2,000 MB/s of sequential read/write throughput over the USB 3.2 2x2 interface. It also supports 256-bit AES encryption and comes with a USB Type-C to Type-C cable.View Deal
No matter how demanding the task, the 4 TB 990 Pro SSD is ready to cruise through it with its industry-best PCIe 4.0 speeds, endurance, and efficiency. Backed by a 5 year warranty, this drive is the perfect storage upgrade to grab regardless of whether you're rocking a gaming PC or console.View Deal
The QLC-based drive boasts excellent performance of up to 7,100 MB/s. Equipped with the Phison E27T controller, the drive also has excellent thermals and won't be in danger of throttling, making it excellent for usage in a multitude of systems.View Deal
The SN850X is a speedy PCIe 4.0 SSD for PCs, laptops, and the PlayStation 5. The drive boasts a sequential performance that peaks at 7,300 MB/s reads and 6,600 MB/s writes. See our review of the WD Black SN850X for more information. View Deal
The Samsung 990 Pro 4TB is among the fastest SSDs currently available on the market, with read and write speeds of up to 7450/6900 MB/s, maxing out the Gen 4 bandwidth. View Deal
This large-capacity 4TB SSD is perfect for gaming use. It has a large storage capacity for your game library and impressive read/write speeds of 5000 / 4800 Mbps. It uses a PCIe NVMe M.2 Gen 4 interface with a 4TB storage capacity. View Deal
The Samsung T9 portable SSD 4TB edition is available right now for its lowest price to date. This SSD can reach read/write speeds as high as 2000 Mbps.View Deal
This well-priced drive offers a massive 4TB capacity and stunning PCIe Gen 4.0 performance. With sequential read/write speeds of 7,400/6,500MB/s, this drive is more than enough for your gaming needs, whether for a PC or PlayStation 5 console.View Deal
The 2TB Seagate Expansion Card is a great way to expand your Xbox's storage and all more games to be installed on your console for easy access. View Deal
The Samsung T7 Shield 1TB features up to 1,050/1,000 of sequential read/write throughput and connects using a USB-C or USB Gen 3 connection. It also has an IP65 shock, dust, and water resistance rating. View Deal
This 1 TB SSD comes in three colors grey, blue, and red. It has read/write speeds as fast as 1050/1000 MB/s and connects using a USB 3.2 interface. View Deal
SSD Deals: What to Look For
SATA or NVMe: SSDs either use the SATA or NVMe interface, with the latter being as much as six times faster (or more). All 2.5-inch drives are SATA, but M.2 drives could be either NVMe or SATA interface, though the latter is now rare. If you have a desktop or laptop that was built in the last 5 years, it almost certainly supports NVMe, which is faster. As SATA is old news, most of the best SSD deals are on NVMe drives.
2.5-inch or M.2: Most internal SSDs are either 2.5-inch or M.2 form factor. 2.5-inch drives connect to SATA ports and can replace old-school mechanical hard drives. M.2 drives look like RAM sticks and plug into dedicated M.2 ports. You won't find that many deals on 2.5-inch drives, but they can be useful for bulk storage as many motherboards have a ton of SATA ports but only two M.2 slots.
PCIe 3, 4 or 5: If you're buying an NVMe SSD, you can choose among PCIe 3, 4 or 5 interfaces with speeds increasing from a maximum of around 3,500 MBps sequential reads and writes to 8,000 MBps and 14,000 MBps. At this point, PCIe 4 drives are mainstream and offer the best value. PCIe 5 drives are extraordinarily expensive, require a newer-gen platform that supports them, and also generate a fair amount of heat. We're seeing the best SSD deals on PCIe 4 drives which is the best standard for most people.
Capacity: Price increases have upended the market in recent months, so it's going to be tricky to find a decent 2TB NVMe drive for less than $140 this Black Friday, with high performance models going for even more. 4TB drives are an even worse proposition, costing $250+, with some reaching over $400. If you really need to save money, a decent 1TB drive can still be found for $70 or $80.
Mini PC specialist Geekom has stuffed its Amazon webstore with a multitude of diminutive computers with discounts as deep as 34% off. Among the plethora of discounts, we're pleased to also have a special stacking discount code for last year's flagship Geekom A9 Max with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, slicing a further 8% off this already discounted, sturdy, premium aluminum build mini PC.
This A9 Max (2025) 'Strix Point' model features a Zen 5 architecture CPU with 12C/24T, plus Radeon 890M graphics on board. The system comes complete with 32GB DDR5, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro. Originally priced at $1,399.00, the Prime Day sale reduces it to $1,189.15, and our exclusive Tom's Hardware discount code (8% off code: THA9MAX26) slices another 8% off, resulting in a checkout price of $1,094.
Use our 8% off code: THA9MAX26 for this deeper discount
This sturdy aluminum-encased Geekom A9 Max (2025) comes with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 'Strix Point' processor, backed by 32GB DDR5, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro.View Deal
For those who insist on the latest silicon, Geekom has also put its A9 MAX 2026 Edition on sale at 21% off. That means this fresh Ryzen flagship, which has been upgraded to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470, is reduced from $1,699 to $1,349. Remember, this has 32GB DDR5 RAM and with a 2TB pre-installed SSD it offers double the storage capacity of its predecessor in the deal above. We have one of these 'Gorgon Point' mini PCs in the labs now, and hope to be able to share the review with your shortly.
Geekom's newly released AI flagship mini PC is already discounted for Prime Day
This sturdy aluminum-encased Geekom A9 Max (2026) comes with the AMD's refreshed Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 'Gorgon Point' processor, backed by 32GB DDR5, a roomy 2TB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro.View Deal
We also remember when mini PCs used to be a great niche for finding real bargains, and hunters of such rarities can still get perfectly serviceable mini PCs from Geekom under $600 during the ongoing RAMpocalypse if they aren't averse to older silicon.
For example, the Geekom A8 Mini PC with AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS processor, 16GB DDR5 RAM (upgradable), 1TB NVMe SSD, and Windows 11 Pro is currently 15% off at $585.65 via that Amazon Prime Day link. Though slightly older, the AMD APU in this still offers Zen 4 CPU cores in a 8C/16T configuration, and Radeon 780M graphics. Most buyers won't miss the absence of an NPU...
Digging deeper in the Prime Day bargain bin, we also spotted the Geekom A5, which promises to do everything from "business, home server, creative work & casual gaming." It is listed at 14% off for Prime day cutting its price from $439 to a far more attractive $371. In tech specs terms, so you can judge use-case claims for yourself, this 200kg pressure-rated NUC-a-like mini PC packs an AMD Ryzen 5 7430U APU which features Zen 3 cores in a 6C/12T config plus Radeon Vega 7 graphics. It also comes with 16GB DDR4 RAM installed (expandable to 64GB), and a 512GB NVMe SSD (expandable with an extra M.2 2242 slot and room for a 2.5-inch SATA drive).
Above are our five picks from the spectrum of mini PCs that Geekom has put on sale for Prime Day. However, we didn't even mention any of the firm's Intel models, like the passive Geekom iX 12, on sale for 15% off at $296, which is designed to bring mini PC power to home lab VPN, firewall, virtualization, and edge computing applications.
We're keeping a close eye on deals during Amazon Prime Day 2026 to find any RAM bargains to be had and adding them to the constantly-updated list below. RAM is expensive right now, but the brutal fact is that it is only going to get more expensive in the months ahead. Inflation on prices is making it hard to find value in the memory market, but there are some deals you can still buy. You might be holding off for the market to stabilize, but signs indicate this problem is going to get worse in 2027, not better. You can also find good deals, often yielding the lowest overall RAM pricing, if you check our Prime Day RAM bundle page. There, we list combo deals that involve buying multiple items, like a CPU, motherboard, and RAM together, that then yield lower overall pricing.
Because the RAM market is very volatile right now, these deals tend to move quickly, so it's a good idea to act sooner rather than later so you don't miss out on a great opportunity. We're updating this page constantly to keep the deals fresh, but you will have to act fast to snag the last deals on memory we will likely see for at least a year, if not longer.
We've put together a handpicked list of the best options to make your shopping easier. We carefully review offers from different retailers to find the best value for you, drawing on our extensive experience from thorough reviews, detailed benchmarks, and analysis of past prices. We keep a close eye on the latest RAM deals as they come up, highlighting the top choices we've found across various stores.
A performance DDR5-6000 memory kit for those who need more speed than baseline DDR5. It also supports AMD EXPO. View Deal
This 32GB Corsair Vengeance kit runs at DDR5-6000, which is plenty for almost any desktop system, and features CL36 timings. View Deal
A 32GB memory kit that runs at DDR5-6000. It features 36-36-36-76 timings and requires 1.25V. Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO support is present. Use promo code FTTF359 at checkout.View Deal
A memory kit that runs at DDR5-6000 with 38-38-38-78 timings and a 1.25V DRAM voltage. It supports both Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO. Use promo code FTTF4657 at checkout.View Deal
Crucial has exited the consumer memory business, but they are still selling out stock and will honor all warranties. This Pro kit comes from a trusted brand and features DDR4-3200 at C22 timings. View Deal
A 64GB memory kit that sticks to DDR5-5200 and 40-40-40-77 timings. It runs at a default DRAM voltage of 1.25V and features Intel XMP 3.0 support.View Deal
A 48GB memory kit that's certified to run at DDR5-6400 with timings set to 32-39-39-84. It runs at 1.35V with Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO support.View Deal
A 128GB memory kit that's certified to run at DDR5-6400 with timings configured to 42-52-52-104. It runs at 1.35V and only supports Intel XMP 3.0.View Deal
This PNY kit isn't going to set world records, but this is a great way to get DDR4-3200 on the cheap. If the silicon lottery shines upon you, you might be able to squeeze out a decent overclock on this kit, too. View Deal
This barebones Ripjaws kit runs at DDR4-2400 at CL17. If the silicon lottery shines upon you, you might be able to squeeze out a decent overclock on this kit, too. View Deal
A massive 96GB memory kit that functions at DDR5-6400. The timings are configured to 32-39-39-84 and require 1.4V to run. It supports Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO.View Deal
This budget-friendly memory kit offers good performance and attractive looks. It supports Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO technologies, making setup quick and easy with just one click.View Deal
A 64GB memory kit is fantastic for multitasking and tackling memory-heavy tasks. Plus, it’s super simple to set up on both AMD and Intel systems, so you'll be up and running in no time.View Deal
This Newegg offer lets you save a tasty $50 on 16GB (2x8GB) DDR5-6000 RAM from Teamgroup. Perfect for a small gaming PC setup.
This 48GB kit of Corsair Vengeance RGB has a slower 5,200 MT/s transfer speed, but it's cheaper than its 32GB counterpart and comes with a decent 38 CAS latency. View Deal
This high-capacity memory kit is perfect for anyone who needs plenty of memory for those heavy workloads! It works great with both AMD and Intel systems, so that you can power through your tasks with ease.View Deal
DDR5 RAM Deals
Don’t miss out on this Tom’s Hardware Premium. Get a full year of access for just $29, or from $7 per-month. Get daily news analysis, deep dives into specialist topics in the semiconductor industry, as well as access to Bench, the largest benchmarking database around.View Deal
The Flare X5 is the ultimate memory kit to boost your memory capacity on a dual-DIMM motherboard. It's AMD EXPO-certified, giving you added confidence in its performance. View Deal
DDR4 RAM Deals
A decent 32GB memory kit that runs at DDR4-3000 and 16-18-18-36 timings. It pulls 1.35V of DRAM voltage and is specifically optimized for AMD systems.View Deal
A 16GB memory kit with DDR5-3200 data rate and timings binned to 16-18-18-38. It requires a DRAM voltage of 1.35V and supports Intel XMP 2.0.View Deal
This memory kit is fast and comes with a generous capacity, making it a wonderful choice if you need a lot of RAM for your work. View Deal
PNY may not be a household name for RAM, but this DDR4-3200 32GB (2x16GB) memory kit is an affordable choice, especially for giving some older systems a fresh boost.View Deal
AI GPU maker Nvidia just announced a “hotter than a hot tub” liquid cooling system that it says will cut water and electricity use. According to the company, this new solution will run coolant — composed of 75% water and 25% propylene glycol — at 113 degrees F (45 deg C). By comparison, the water in hot tubs hovers at 100 to 104 degrees F (38 to 40 deg C). This feels counterintuitive, but the company says that the “cool” water is enough to handle the heat generated by Nvidia’s Rubin chips and exit the system at 131 degrees F (55 deg C).
Traditional water-cooling methods, especially those that use chillers, often account for nearly 40% of a data center’s power consumption. Aside from that, these systems must often deal with water loss through evaporation. On the other hand, air-cooled facilities also use a considerable amount of electricity, plus they also generate noise pollution. On the other hand, Nvidia says that this new solution uses a lot fewer resources because of its higher base temperature.
Since 113 degrees F is often higher than ambient temperature, data centers can simply rely on outdoor dry coolers to expel the heat to the environment. This is also a closed-loop system; Nvidia claims an up to 100% reduction in water consumption — it’s “filled once and runs closed for the life of the facility.” This solution is most effective in regions with cooler climates, but it should still be effective in warmer areas as long as the ambient temperature is below 113 degrees F.
Data centers that face occasional temperature swings that exceed this limit may still be required to turn on their chillers. Nevertheless, this should still reduce resource consumption, as it only needs to run them a few times per year. Aside from that, this should also allow these systems to run more efficiently, as the chillers don’t have to work as hard to hit the target temperature. It’s estimated that increasing a chiller plant’s target temperature by 1.8 degrees F (1 degree C) would reduce electricity costs by 4%. This means that data centers would save significantly on power consumption if they set their chiller units to the 70 to 75 degrees F (21 to 24 degrees C) that traditional chillers run, according to Vertiv, to the 113 degrees F (45 degrees C) that Nvidia recommends for its Rubin chips.
This solution addresses several of the issues that many local governments raised that led to the delay of more than 75 data centers earlier this year. However, it will likely take time for this cooling system to roll out to new and existing projects, so we expect the delays and resistance to continue until Nvidia’s liquid cooling system gains wider adoption. Furthermore, this only addresses the water use of the data center itself — the GPU servers themselves still require massive amounts of electricity.
Unfortunately, most of the power used by data centers, at least in the United States, comes from fossil fuel power plants, which themselves consume a lot of water. Developments that aren’t tied to the grid and get their electricity from natural gas turbines may not need as much water, but residents are concerned about the pollution they generate. Still, this new cooling solution is a step in the right direction to help make AI more sustainable.
If you’re trying to buy PC hardware, specifically RAM, storage, and video cards, over the last several months, you’ve been greeted by abhorrently high pricing due to the AI boom. Newegg combos have saved the day for some, and we found another awesome 3-item combo to help save money. For only $1,082 ($446.98 / 29% off), you get a massive (and fast!) 4TB Samsung 9100 Pro SSD, 32GB (2x16GB) V-Color Manta XSky DDR5-6000 RAM, and an Asus TUF Gaming X870E-Plus motherboard. Together, this is a great start for a build based on the AM5 platform.
The RAM included in the combo is V-Color Manta XSky. We’ve seen some kits from them before, but none with this speed and low timings. The sticks sport black heat spreaders and a frosted RGB element across the top and match well with the Asus board. Specs-wise, it’s a 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-6000 kit with tight timings (CL30-38-38-96 @ 1.35V). Under the hood are SK Hynix ICs, so you do have some headroom if you want to overclock past their rated speed or to tighten them down. AMD’s sweet spot (Price/performance) for AM5 processors is around 6000-6400 MT/s, so these fall into that bucket. V-color may not be as popular as Corsair, GSkill, or Kingston, for example, but their memory is just as fast and stable, looks good, and is an excellent overall option.
Get this great deal on a 3-item combo from Newegg. Just $1,082.99 gets you a quality mid-range Asus TUF Gaming X870E-Plus Wifi motherboard, 32GB of DDR5-6000 (CL30) V-Color Manta XSky RAM, and a speedy 4TB Samsung 9100 Pro PCIe 5 x4 SSD and save $447View Deal
Samsung 9100 Pro 4TB is one of the fastest M.2 drives around. Based on PCIe 5.0 x4 connection, it boasts speeds up to 14,800 MB/s reads and 13,400 MB/s writes (sequential) with 2,200K IOPS read, and 2,600K IOPS writes. In other words, it’s fast, and the benchmarks (below) show it. Samsung stands behind these speedy drives with a 5-year limited warranty and lists Terabytes Written at a typical level for the capacity, 2,400 TBW.
FutureFutureFutureFuture
The Asus TUF Gaming X870E-Plus Wifi 7 is a solid all-around motherboard for the AM5 platform. It delivers sufficient power to support flagship-class processors and easily handles the 9850X3D in the combo, even with some overclocking. It comes with four M.2 sockets (one PCIe 5.0) and two SATA ports for storage, fast networking with integrated Wi-Fi 7 and 2,5 GbE, ample USB ports on the rear IO (13, including two USB4 40 Gbps Type-C), and a quality audio solution based on the last-gen Realtek flagship (ALC1220P). Asus’ AI solutions (AI Cache Boost, Overclocking, Cooling II, and Networking II) and the DIY-friendly design make it easy to build and get the most out of your system.
If you’ve been looking for a cheap way into the AM5 platform and need a lot of storage, this is one of the best Newegg combo deals we’ve seen. No matter how you apply the 29% / $447 discount (which essentially amounts to either free RAM or a really cheap 4TB PCIe 5.0 x4 SSD), it’s a great deal on high-quality hardware that will get your rig updated without completely cleaning out your wallet.
If you dabble in 3D printing, you're more than aware of all the little intricacies before, during, and after you create your prints. You need a host of tools to keep the process running smoothly.
Yes, you usually get a few tools thrown in the box with a new 3D printer, but investing in a dedicated 3D printer toolkit will make a huge difference in caring for your 3D printer and keeping it in tip-top condition.
We've trawled through the deals during this Prime Day sales event and used our expert knowledge to source the tools you absolutely need for your 3D printer toolkit.
A large 3D printer tool wrap set to rule them all.
This 74-piece 3D printer tool kit from Creality is packed with everything that you need to keep your printer printing. This is a "one and done" purchase where you get everything you need to maintain any brand of 3D printer.
In the kit, you get:
34 piece precision screwdriver set (Torx, Slot, Pozidrive, Phillips, Hex)
Flush cutters
Brass brush
Spatula
Nozzle cleaner and needles
Tweezers
Socket wrench
Files
Deburring tool
Pliers
Tube cutter
Magnetic project mat
You get everything that you could ever need to keep your 3D printer running at optimal efficiency, and best of all, it rolls up into a tool wrapView Deal
That is a lot of kit packed into a handy tool wrap that you can pick up and work with.
These cheap cutters will leave you flush with spare cash
Whether you are cutting your filament, cleaning out supports, or removing cable ties, wire/flush/side cutters are an essential part of the 3D printer toolkit. Sometimes you get a pair with your printer, but if you don't, or you need a spare set, then this pair of snips is a good alternative for you.
These cheap cutters are superb for 3D printing, electronics, and some general home maintenance tasks. Sure, the metal is a little soft, but for 3D printing, it is tough enough to cut through plastics.
Being flush wire cutters means that we get a clean edge to our snip. That’s useful when we need to trim some filament to slide down a Bowden tube or for removing stubborn supports. Model makers and electronics hobbyists can also use these cutters. Model makers use them to trim parts from a sprue, electronics users will trim component legs, and snip wires.
Trim, cut, and rip plastic from places where it shouldn’t be. Then use these cutters to trim electronic components or for other craft projects.View Deal
Allen, Hex, whatever you call them, you need them!
Allen wrenches, hex keys, no matter what you call them, are essential 3D printer tools. Printers are generally held together by machine screws sporting an Allen / hex head. You will normally get a selected set of wrenches with your printer, and these generally do a good job. But having a more durable and expansive set is always better.
Wera Hex Key Set (covering all the key sizes)
These Wera Allen wrenches/hex keys are exceptionally well-made, German, precision tools. This metric set covers sizes 1.5 to 10mm, and that is typically all you need for your 3D printer.
Wera makes quality tools, and these long arm, ball-headed hex keys provide all the key metric sizes from 1.5 to 10mm.View Deal
Wera makes quality tools, and these long-arm, ball-headed hex keys provide all the key metric sizes from 1.5 to 10mm.View Deal
In the set you get the following sizes of hex wrenches.
1.5mm
2.0mm
2.5mm
3.0mm
4.0mm
5.0mm
6.0mm
8.0mm
10.0mm
All feature precision-cut edges that grip, and a ball-end for those hex screws in hard-to-reach places.
Lift even the most stubborn 3D prints with the right tool
A 3D printer's print bed can often be super grippy, and you may often need to use a scraper to gently remove the print from the bed. In the case of PLA, it cools down and lifts from the print bed in a few minutes, but for PETG, it can take much longer to cool and can be challenging to remove.
Scrapers are great tools, and your 3D printer will usually come with a plastic scraper or the STL files to print your own. But what if you need something a little stronger? You may want to consider some metal scrapers.
The thin metal blades are designed to get under the print or, if the print is stuck, gently lift the brim to break the adhesion. Just make sure that you use it carefully; don’t go cutting into your build plate!
We've got angled scrapers in various sizes, and two smaller scrapers, one with a metal blade, the other with plastic to protect your print bed.View Deal
The driving force for your toolkit
We’ve all got some form of screwdriver lurking in a toolbox or drawer. We use them to open PC cases, tins of paint, and to fix our spectacles, and then we throw them back in the drawer. A few months later, we’re hunting for that one screwdriver to do one specific task, only to get frustrated because we can’t find it. This is when you need a dedicated screwdriver set for your maker box.
A good general-purpose precision screwdriver set is a necessity. This 49-in-1 set has all the bits that you need to repair electronics and keep your kit ticking over.
All the bits that you will ever need to keep your 3D printer running smoothly, and you get a great case to keep them all in.View Deal
Fancy splurging on some brand-name tools? Go for it, pick up a deal in the Prime Day sales. Grab these iFixit kits and be the envy of your peers.
The iFixit range of tools are excellent, and this 53-piece precision driver kit is well worth the splurge!
In the kit, you get 4mm bits for common screw types (Phillips, Slot, Pozidrive) and some uncommon ones, such as Petalobe and security Torx. There are even bits to take apart old consoles, which often used exotic screws to keep us out!
All of the kit is contained inside a magnetically sealed case, with the lid acting as a magnetic screw sorter, enabling us to keep track of which screw goes where!View Deal
All the bits that you need to take a PC apart, build IKEA furniture or fix that cabinet door that you promised to fix in 2018!
A great mix of precision 4mm bits for general electronics and small projects, and 1/4 inch bits for the larger jobs. You get drivers for both sizes and the same magnetic case as the Make, to prevent losing screws as you take things apart!View Deal
What about a general-purpose screwdriver to throw in your toolkit? The Hoto 24-in-1 offers a great driver handle with a swivel to aid precise movement. Bits connect magnetically to the handle, and the driver takes 4mm bits, but it comes with 12 double-ended bits.
Sleek, compact and with 24 double-ended bits crammed inside, the Hoto 24-in-1 precision screwdriver should be in your 3D printer toolkit.View Deal
Handy electric screwdrivers
Screwing/unscrewing a bunch of screws can get tiring, which is why electric screwdrivers are ideal for building furniture and PCs, and for taking apart electronics for repair.
You can get good USB-charged electric screwdrivers for very little money, or pay a little extra for something a little higher quality. Hoto’s precision driver is an excellent tool you won't regret buying. Especially when it's on sale.
A go-to screwdriver set for the office, workshop and your go-bag. With all the bits you will need to fix a multitude of problems.View Deal
The S2 bits are made from hardened steel, which means they won’t chew up and lose their edge. The bits are standard 4mm size, so you can use bits from your other precision screwdriver. The Hoto precision driver only has one speed, and the battery capacity is only 350mAh, which provides around 500 operations, but those two things are its only downside. When charging, the unit will show a white light next to the USB-C port. When it goes out, you are fully charged.
The driver is made from metal, and the ridges help grip the driver as you work. Button operation is easy; just press and hold to screw/unscrew. The included case is lovely, if a little bulky. All in all, a great electric screwdriver for makers, tinkerers, and those eager to service their 3D printers.
Unclog your 3D printer with ease
3D printers will get clogged. No matter how much money you spend, hot plastic being pushed through a 0.4mm hole is going to cause a clog someday. Dealing with a clog is fairly simple, but you need the right tools as you will be poking around the hot end while it is well and truly hot, around 200 °C.
Poking a clog with a thin needle works most times, but when you absolutely, positively need to blast that clog out, the Creality Clog Poke (yes, that is its name) is there to help. Instead of inserting it into the nozzle, we insert the poke into the filament path, specifically the path from the top of the extruder to the nozzle. The 1.5mm needle won’t reach the nozzle, but it will push any plastic trapped inside the extruder. Molten plastic should then pour down onto the build plate.
Using this should reduce the need to completely disassemble the extruder and make quick work of a blockage. Of course, there will be times when you need to disassemble the extruder.
Tackle a blocked nozzle from another angle with the Creality Clog Poke. Instead of pushing into the nozzle, remove the PTFE tube and push this clog poke into the throat of the extruder, forcing molten plastic out of the nozzle.View Deal
The nozzle on your 3D printer is user-replaceable, and you can swap it out for a different-sized aperture for finer detail prints (0.2mm) or for when you need to print large functional parts (0.6 to 0.8mm). But to remove the nozzle, you will need a wrench, so here is what I suggest.
Here you have all the gear to maintain the business end of your 3D printer. Nozzle wrenches, needles, tweezers and two handy brass bristled brushes to keep your prints running smoothly.View Deal
For less than $10, you get needles to clean the nozzle, brass brushes to remove grime and plastic from the hot part of the nozzle, and tweezers to remove detritus without burning your finger. But the best part is the two nozzle wrenches. Designed with an L-shape, they keep your fingers away from the hot bit and give you a little more torque to persuade the nozzle to come loose.
Even after heating the nozzle, it can become stuck, so a little extra force is needed to remove it. The problem is that the heat makes the nozzle too hot to touch. The nozzle is cupped by the wrench, so you just need to concentrate on removing it. Then drop it onto the build plate to cool.
The extra tools are useful. In fact, the brass brushes are extremely useful for cleaning burnt plastic from the hot end.
Finish your prints like a pro
Some 3D prints need a little post-processing. The edges may need to be cleaned up, which is common when using a brim for bed adhesion, or if your print squeezed down on the print bed a little too hard. A deburring tool uses a curved blade with a ball-end. The ball traces the contours of the object, while the blade shaves off a little plastic to neaten up your work.
This is the deburring tool that I personally use, and it has been stellar since day one. A sharp, but safe blade trims unwanted plastic from prints, leaving a clean edge without risking my fingers.View Deal
The ultimate cleaning liquid for 3D printers is Isopropyl alcohol
Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) is a key part of 3D printing, because whenever we touch the buildplate, even with clean hands, we leave oils that can impact bed adhesion and turn your prints into spaghetti. So get some IPA and clean up your act!
Buying in bulk and decanting into dollar store spray bottles is the smart way to get all the IPA that you need.View Deal
An illuminating purchase
When you are working in tight spaces, you need as much light as you can get, and a flashlight is really handy for pointing exactly where you need it. You don’t need to spend big bucks on a flashlight, but there are some excellent choices out there.
With 1800 Lumens of light, USB Type-C charging, an IP68 rating, a baseball cap clip, and a magnetic base, this is a great flashlight for multiple reasons. The magnetic base means it can be connected to a metal part of your PC case or 3D printer, leaving you with both hands free.
With USB Type-C charging, six brightness modes, and a magnetic base, the Wuben E7 is a useful flashlight for makers and tinkerers who want extra light for their work, without compromising on quality.View Deal
This compact and easy-to-use flashlight provides 50 Lumens of light, without the need to fiddle around for a button. Just unclip, and your flashlight is ready to light your way.View Deal
It’s hard not to be impressed by what manufacturers have achieved with the numerous options that are now available among the best PC gaming handhelds. What was once a domain left largely to Valve with the Steam Deck has evolved into a broader market, with the bulk of the systems available running Windows 11.
These devices pair sleek exteriors with high-refresh IPS or OLED displays and pack powerful (for a handheld) computing hardware inside. However, even the gaming handheld market has been squeezed by rising component prices, leading us to the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, the subject of this review. It’s by far the most powerful gaming handheld we’ve ever tested, thanks to its Intel Arc G3 Extreme SoC, but it’s also the most expensive ($1,799).
At every turn, the Claw 8 EX AI+ impressed with its performance, but the staggering price tag incessantly looms over the experience.
Design of the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
We hope you like purple, as that’s the only color currently available for the Claw 8 EX AI+. Purple isn’t my favorite color in the world (that distinction belongs to blue), and it gives me Joker vibes from the 1989 Batman starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Not only is the top of the chassis molded in purple plastic, but it also has a sparkly finish that makes it look a bit jewel-like. The lower half of the system is constructed of traditional black plastic.
The handgrips on the Claw 8 EX AI+ are well-spaced, perfectly sized for my hands, and evenly distribute weight, which helps mask the system’s 785-gram heft. Speaking of the handgrips, there’s a laser-etched dot texture molded where your palms and index fingers rest on the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ — this helps keep it in place instead of sliding around in your hands (especially if they perspire during long gaming sessions).
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Controls-wise, the Claw 8 EX AI+ doesn’t break any new ground, which is generally a good thing. If you’re familiar with an Xbox controller, there are backlit ABXY buttons on the right, with a joystick just below, along with another joystick on the left side, with a D-pad (which features a metal dome) below it. Both joysticks sport an RGB ring at their bases. There are also four buttons on the face of the handheld, flanking the display, with the bottom-left button assigned to bringing up the MSI Quick Settings overlay for the Xbox Game Bar. The bottom right button launches MSI Center M, for launching and configuring games.
You’ll find the usual allotment of bumper and triggers at the top of the Claw 8 EX AI+. While the triggers feel nice, the bumpers are a smidge “wiggly,” but that’s a nitpick on my part. If you’re a fan of macro buttons, you may be disappointed to find that there are only two on the back of the Claw 8 EX AI+, versus the three or four you’ll find on competing systems like the Steam Deck.
Unlike Lenovo’s Legion Go series of handhelds, you won’t find a touchpad on the Claw 8 EX AI+. So all of your screen navigation will be limited to touching the screen with your finger, or using the joysticks in the Xbox overlay or MSI Center M.
All of the I/O ports are located at the top of the unit; here you’ll find a power button that doubles as a fingerprint reader, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a microSD reader, a 3.5mm audio jack, and volume buttons.
There are two intakes (one for each cooling fan) located beside the macro buttons, while vents below the IO panel exhaust heat.
Although I’ll talk about the screen in detail later on, I must mention that the display doesn’t fit neatly within the confines of the center mass of the Claw 8 EX AI+. Instead, the bottom portion of the screen extends roughly half an inch below the body. It looks a little wonky at first, but it seems to be the only way that MSI could fit the 8-inch display, at least without making the whole device bigger.
The Claw 8 EX AI+ measures 12.6 x 5.12 x 1.98 inches, compared to 11.42 x 4.76 x 2.00 inches for the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, 11.64 x 5.38 x 1.66 inches for the Lenovo Legion Go 2, and 11.73 x 4.6 x 1.97 inches for the Steam Deck OLED.
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Specifications and Components
Processor
Intel Arc G3 Extreme (14 cores, 14 threads, 4.7 GHz, 8-35W cTDP), Up to 46 TOPS NPU
12.6 x 5.12 x 0.98 ~ 1.89 inches (32.1 x 13 x 2.5 ~ 4.8 cm)
Weight
1.73 pounds (785 g)
Warranty
One year
Price (as configured)
$1,799.99
Gaming and Graphics Performance on the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
The Claw 8 EX AI+ features the new Intel Arc G3 Extreme SoC, which includes a 14-core GPU (4.7 GHz max clock) and a 12-core Arc B390 GPU that clocks up to 2.3 GHz.
The default power mode is MSI's AI Engine, which typically runs games at 25 watts, but can vary between 15 watts and 30 watts depending on the workload. There's also an Endurance Mode, which leverages the Intel Endurance Gaming Efficiency Preset. This limits the chip to 15 watts and targets 30 frames per second (FPS) while gaming. Finally, Manual Mode allows you to run PL1 Max at 35 watts.
For our testing, we used the default AI Engine Mode when on battery, and Manual Mode when plugged in (35 watts PL1 Max, 45 watts PL2 Max). We ran games at 1280 x 800 and 1920 x 1200 resolutions on the handheld, leveraging the Xbox Full Screen Experience to limit resource consumption from additional Windows software. Please note, however, that the ROG Xbox Ally X benchmarks were run at 720p/1080p due to its 16:9 aspect ratio display, while the Steam Deck is limited to 1280 x 800 resolution.
While playing Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, I was able to easily achieve 150-160 FPS on medium graphics settings at 800p with XeSS Balanced and the AI Engine power mode engaged. Battlefield 6 saw performance in the 70 fps range at 800p, with Auto detail settings and XeSS Balanced enabled.
Spoiler alert: the Arc 3 Extreme powering the Claw 8 EX AI+ is an absolute beast (in the handheld segment), delivering a 20 to 30+ FPS advantage over its peers across all the games in our benchmark suite. Starting with Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark (Medium, DX12), the Claw 8 EX AI+hit 98 FPS at 800p on battery power and 112 fps when plugged in (a 30+ FPS advantage over the ROG Xbox Ally X. Bumping the resolution to 1200p, the Claw 8 EX AI+ was faster at 1200p on battery power (67 FPS) than the ROG Ally X and Legion Go 2 were at 720p/800p on battery power. The system also impressed, reaching 72 FPS at 1200p when plugged in.
When benchmarking Cyberpunk 2077 (Steam Deck preset), the Claw 8 EX AI+ again showed its performance might, crushing all rivals. It delivered 78 FPS on battery power and 85 FPS when plugged in at 800p. At 1200p, those figures fell to 48 FPS and 52 FPS, respectively. We're at least getting a semblance of playability at 1200p resolution in the handheld space.
Red Dead Redemption 2 (Favor performance, Vulkan) saw the Claw 8 EX AI+ run the tables again, hitting 115 FPS at 800p and 87 FPS at 1200p while plugged in to the wall. Of course, those numbers fell slightly on battery power, but were still above anything that the ROG Xbox Ally X or Legion Go 2 could muster.
It was more of the same in Borderlands 3 (Medium, DX11), which saw the largest performance variance between the Claw 8 EX AI+ on battery power and when plugged in. The handheld hit 94 FPS at 800p while plugged in, a full 18 FPS faster than with battery power. At 1200p while plugged in, it still managed to pull 78 FPS at 1200p.
Forza Horizon 6 is the newest addition to our benchmark suite, so we only have Steam Deck numbers to compare with the Claw 8 EX AI+. The Claw 8 EX AI+ hovered around the 100 FPS mark at 800p and managed 72-76 FPS at 1200p, depending on whether it was running on battery power.
For stress testing, we ran Metro Exodus 15 times at 800p at Medium quality settings to simulate roughly 30 minutes of gameplay. The Claw 8 EX AI+ hit an average frame rate of nearly 70 FPS on the benchmark. For comparison, the ROG Xbox Ally X managed 63.44 FPS using the same settings.
The Claw 8 EX AI+’s two performance cores averaged 4.06 GHz, the eight efficiency cores averaged 3.18 GHz, and the four low-power efficiency cores averaged 3.0 GHz.
Windows 11 and MSI Center M on the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
The Claw 8 EX AI+ supports the Xbox Full Screen Experience, just like the ROG Xbox Ally X. However, it doesn't have its own dedicated Xbox app. You can access the interface by opening the Xbox app and selecting Full Screen from the top-right corner. You'll then be able to reboot the system directly into the Full Screen Experience, bypassing unnecessary Windows 11 components that could affect gaming performance.
All the benefits and limitations of the Full Screen Experience, as discussed in our ROG Xbox Ally X review, apply here, so I won't belabor those points. I would like to elaborate on the MSI Center M, which provides its own dedicated, gaming-centric interface. The full-screen interface can be navigated using the thumbpads, eliminating the need to tap the screen.
MSI Center M pulls in all of your games from multiple sources, including the Xbox Store, GOG Galaxy, Epic Games, and Steam (among others). It pulled games from all those sources, and most of them displayed a nice, high-resolution thumbnail. One exception was Cyberpunk 2077, which only displayed a low-resolution Start Menu icon that was blown up to a blurry mess.
You can customize navigation within MSI Center M to use the joysticks in Gamepad Mode (for gaming) or Desktop Mode (for using the standard Windows 11 interface). You can tweak sensitivity for the joysticks, and the Desktop Mode provides key mapping so that you can see which UI shortcut each button corresponds to.
Another component of the software package is MSI Quick Settings, an overlay that appears in the Xbox Game Bar. It can be recalled using the MSI Quick Settings button beside the left joystick. MSI Quick Settings features a sleek, easy-to-use interface that provides access to power profiles, screen brightness, gamepad control modes, display refresh rate, and screenshot capture (among other things).
Display on the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
The Claw 8 EX AI+ features an 8-inch IPS display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a 1920 x 1200 resolution. Given the $1,799 price tag, it would have been more fitting for MSI to include an OLED display, as we saw with the Legion Go 2. I think that’s a big miss by MSI, and one that I hope will be rectified in future versions.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we were unable to perform detailed, instrumented tests on the Claw 8 EX AI+’s display. So you’ll have to trust my eyeballs and the manufacturer’s specs for the time being. MSI claims that the display on the Claw 8 EX AI+ covers 100% of the sRGB color space and offers a peak brightness of 500 nits.
Although I didn’t have a Legion Go 2 on hand for a side-by-side comparison, I do have a Legion Go and a Legion Go S on my testing bench. We measured the former at 476.7 nits, and the Claw 8 EX AI+ seemed at least as bright (at maximum brightness) as the Legion Go, if not brighter, across multiple games and while using the Windows 11 interface.
Games generally looked good on the Claw 8 EX AI+, with good color balance. I racked up plenty of hours in Battlefield 6, trying my best to soak in the lush reds, oranges, and greens of the city architecture of the Saints Quarter map without getting my head blown off. Forza Horizon 6 looked magnificent in the colorful Japanese landscape, with vibrant city centers and majestic outdoor environments reflected in the vehicles' finishes. Everything looked good, but color vibrancy and overall visual “pop” would have been even better with an OLED panel, but I digress.
Battery Life on the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
I’ve been spending quite a bit of time recently playing more laid-back games; ones that won’t make my blood boil because of tense online matches. In particular, I’ve spent time playing Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight.
I played the game at 800p with medium settings, Intel XeSS Balanced, power mode set to AI Engine, and display set to 50 percent. After playing for an hour (with an average of around 150 FPS), the battery dropped from 100 percent to 52 percent. Switching the power mode to Endurance, locked at 30 FPS, I still had 66 percent battery after an hour (when starting at 100 percent).
If I were to drop the brightness a bit, I could see battery life extending past 3 hours in Endurance mode.
Audio on the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
The Claw 8 EX AI+ has a pair of 2-watt speakers, which are fine. They’re perfectly serviceable for most games. Given that I spent plenty of time playing Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, I noticed that the character voices sounded pretty good, and the plastic “clicking” sound of Lego stacking together during building exercises came through loud and clear.
Sound output was a bit more muddled in Battlefield 6, although I prefer to play games like that with headphones on anyway. In fact, given the mobility of handheld gaming PCs, most people will likely default to headphones for the best possible audio experience with the Claw 8 EX AI+.
Heat on the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
While running the Metro Exodus stress test, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ registered around 90 degrees Fahrenheit on the back of the chassis, close to dead-center. Moving towards the top of the unit, heat levels rose sharply to around 109 F near the cooling fans' exhausts.
Tom's HardwareTom's Hardware
The Arc G3 Extreme chip averaged 77.3 degrees Celsius.
Upgradeability on the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+
Cracking open the Claw 8 EX AI+ is incredibly easy – only six Phillips-head screws hold the back panel in place. Once the screws are removed, you can use a well-placed plastic pry tool to insert it between the black and purple halves of the chassis where they meet. Once you pry open a small section, the rest pops off easily.
Tom's HardwareTom's Hardware
Once inside, you’ll see the battery in the lower portion of the chassis and a full-length 2280 PCIe 4.0 SSD nestled between the two cooling fans (secured with one screw). In our review unit, the SSD was a 1TB Micron 2500 with QLC NAND.
MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Configurations
As of now, there’s only one configuration available of the Claw 8 EX AI+ with an Arc G3 Extreme SoC. Our system came with the aforementioned Arc G3 Extreme chip, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an 8-inch 120Hz 1200p IPS touchscreen, for a whopping $1,799.99 at Best Buy.
Bottom Line
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is an impressive machine that offers a solidly-built chassis, good ergonomics, and good battery life. However, the most impressive aspect of the handheld is its performance. The Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip allowed the Claw 8 EX AI+ to absolutely dominate our gaming benchmarks, delivering anywhere from a 20 to over 30 FPS advantage at 1200p or 800p resolution.
But that performance comes at a steep price: $1,799. That’s more than just expensive; it’s MacBook Pro pricing for a handheld, which is shocking, to say the least. For comparison, the Lenovo Legion Go 2 with 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an OLED display retails for $1,349.99, and we already had extreme reservations concerning its price tag.
The Claw 8 EX AI+ is $450 more expensive and doesn’t even have the OLED display of the Legion Go 2. The saving grace for the Claw 8 EX AI+ is the Arc G3 Extreme chip, which gives unmatched performance across the board. However, it remains to be seen if the price premium is enough of a draw to more casual gamers.
China's LineShine supercomputer has dethroned El Capitan as the world's number one supercomputer, going straight to the top of the charts after the National Supercomputer Center in Shenzhen (NSCS) submitted its results.
LineShine hit 2.198 FP64 ExaFLOPS in the Linpack benchmark and became the industry's first machine in the Top 500 list to sustain more than 2 ExaFLOPS of double-precision performance using only CPUs. The system is deployed at the National Supercomputing Centre in Shenzhen and was built by the Shenzhen Cloud Computing Center using semi-custom 304-core LX2 processors based on the Armv9 instruction set architecture and running at 1.55 GHz. The machine employs 13.79 million cores in total, uses proprietary LingQi interconnect, and consumes 42.2 MW of power.
From a performance-per-watt point of view, the LineShine machine delivers 52.07 GFLOPS/W, which is below El Capitan's 60.94 GFLOPS/W. However, LineShine by far outperforms Fugaku — another CPU-only supercomputer that used to be the No.1 HPC system several years ago — that can only deliver 14.78 – 16.84 GFLOPS/W depending on whether its efficiency is optimized or not.
LineShine also moved to the top of the HPCG ranking with 22.00 HPCG-PFLOPS. However, the supercomputer achieved 7.92 mixed-precision EFLOPS in HPL-MxP, which puts it behind El Capitan, Frontier, and Aurora. This limits LineShine's usability for AI training and inference, but this can be justified with its exceptional performance for traditional supercomputer tasks.
Each LX2 CPU relies on two compute chiplets and has a total of 304 CPU cores organized into eight CPU clusters containing 38 cores each. Every core includes Arm SVE (Scalable Vector Extension) and SME (Scalable Matrix Extension) units that accelerate vector and matrix operations used in AI training and scientific computing that support FP64, FP32, BF16, FP16, and INT8 data formats. The chip features a rather unusual memory architecture that pairs 32 GB of on-package HBM, offering up to 4 TB/s of bandwidth with as much as 256 GB of external DDR5 memory to maximize both bandwidth and capacity.
Despite this, the processor only gains 3.6X performance when moving from FP64 to mixed-precision data, which is lower compared to systems that integrate low-precision accelerators, such as AMD's Instinct MI300A or Intel's Ponte Vecchio. While an Armv9 CPU with SVE/SME can accelerate FP16/BF16/INT8 workloads, its mixed-precision uplift remains limited compared to systems with accelerators due to many reasons, including memory bandwidth, software maturity, and interconnect efficiency. That said, it may be too early to make final conclusions about the LX2 and its usability for mixed-precision workloads.
In any case, the very fact that a Chinese supercomputer has achieved extraordinary FP64 performance is remarkable. Furthermore, the fact that NSCS has actually submitted results to Top 500 indicates that the organization is confident that the LineShine supercomputer relies exclusively on domestic technologies and the U.S. government cannot affect the production of these technologies.
As much as I love high-priced tech like my RTX 4090-equipped gaming rig or the LG OLED TV I use as my monitor, most of us can't spend several hundred dollars on a tech purchase or gift all the time. But you can still improve your tech life (or the lives of your friends and family) while spending a comparatively small amount of money.
I own all of the affordable devices listed below, and all are on sale for under $50 for Prime Day. Many are even under $25! All of these products have made my tech-saturated world a little nicer in their own way. If you're looking for a small tech splurge for yourself during this deals season, or an affordable gift for that tech-savvy friend or family member, one of these $50-or-under options might be a good fit and a great deal.
Last year, a family member asked me for help with an older PC, which was trying to run Windows 10 and several programs on a cramped 110 GB SSD. At first, I figured I could clone the boot drive onto a more spacious drive so the OS and programs had more space to stretch out.
But the thought of using multiple USB enclosures or shuffling drives in and out of my desktop filled me with dread as I pictured being there for hours getting everything done and the system back up and running. So I looked into getting an M.2 SSD cloner, and was surprised to see they can be found for less than $50.
With support for NVMe M.2 SSDs and offline cloning, this handy device makes it simple to move your files or OS from one drive to another. And with a 20 Gbps USB-C interface, it's also speedy in your OS of choice if you want to use software to clone or move your data between drives.View Deal
While I don't love the glossy plastic shell of Rosewill's model, it's one of the more affordable options. And it supports both NVMe M.2 drives and older AHCI models (Sorry, SATA). Using the cloner is pretty straightforward. You plug in the included USB-C power adapter, put your source drive in the left slot, the destination drive in the right slot, press the power button on the back, and a few logos light up, letting you know you're ready to go. Press the clone button on the top, and drive cloning will commence (provided your destination is the same size or larger than your source).
That's assuming you want to do an offline clone. But because I wanted to also resize the partition between the old 110 GB and the newer Team Group 512 GB SSD, I used the second included USB-C cable to connect the Rosewill cloner to my laptop and powered up the device. Within seconds, both drives were recognized in Windows, so I fired up the excellent free DiskGenius software, cloned the old partition to a new Team Group drive with a few clicks, and then used the software to drag the boot partition to the full size of the new drive. The whole process took just a few minutes, since the Rosewill cloner supports 20 Gbps USB, and I wasn't exactly copying a huge partition.
When the cloning process was finished and the partition inflated, it was hard to believe it was all that easy. I had expected to be at the task for hours, but I was done in less than 30 minutes. Sure, unless you're in IT, a drive cloner might not be something you use regularly, but it's sure handy to have around. You could also use it to save some money by buying a laptop with a cramped SSD and swapping in something much roomier – provided, of course, the laptop's storage isn't soldered to the motherboard.
The Rosewill cloner is also handy for just checking the contents of old M.2 drives you may have lying around. But if that's all you need, you can buy an NVMe enclosure or a single-drive dock. I also own a version of this model from Suitok, which costs $17.
This tiny, cheap, magnetic, USB-charging flashlight is great for PC building and other everyday tasks
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
I picked up the OLIGHT IMINI 2 mini flashlight last year on impulse, because it looked well-designed and cost around $20, but now it's down to just below $12 for Prime Day. Its simple design and built-in USB-A plug for charging make it fun to use – just pull the back off and it turns on. And the magnet at the back lets you easily mount it anywhere you need a little extra light. I've used it inside a steel PC case while fiddling with RGB wires.
At just 2.17 inches long, this flashlight is rated to 50 lumens, and it sports a magnetic back with a USB-A plug for charging. Pulling the back off turns on the flashlight, and the magnetic back makes it easy to mount the light on anything with ferrous metal.View Deal
The OLIGHT IMINI 2 is also small enough for your keychain, is designed to live with your keys, and includes two silicone covers for the USB port and a little carabiner clip. But the flashlight portion is only held to the charging port via a magnet, and I feel like (for me, at least) it would fall off and get lost before too long.
I've used the HOTO 3.6V Screwdriver Set to build dozens of PCs
(Image credit: Hoto)
I build a lot of PCs, though not as many lately thanks to the RAMpocalypse, and I also do a fair bit of home improvement work around my apartment. So a cordless screwdriver is a nice thing to have. I also own a much slimmer Wowstick, but have found HOTO's NEX O1 Pro to be more useful thanks to its extra (and variable) torque. It's great for loosening those factory-installed screws on PC cases that just don't want to let go, and also good for assembling furniture.
The HOTO won't replace my DeWalt impact driver or drill for bigger, tougher jobs. But for everyday tasks, it's powerful enough, easy to charge over USB-C, and even looks good on my workbench.
Hoto's wireless screwdriver has three torque settings, charges over USB-C, and looks surprisingly good. It's even proven quite durable, as I've dropped it off of ladders and my workbench at least a dozen times, and it's still working flawlessly.View Deal
This travel-friendly 2K webcam is all most of us need for work calls and family chats
After using a few bulky and clunky 4K webcams during the pandemic, I picked up this 2K model from Anker in 2022 and haven't used anything else since. It's small, has a detachable cable, which makes it easier to toss in a bag, and most importantly, the 2K resolution sensor does a great job in both bright and low-light conditions. And while I don't often use the built-in mics because I prefer my headset, they have worked for me in a pinch more than a few times.
Anker's compact webcam has a built-in foot for angle adjustments or clamping on a screen, a tripod mount on the base, a detachable USB-C cable, and excellent image performance for the price. For most people, there's no reason to pay more for a 4K sensor or higher refresh rates.View Deal
You could spend less and get something serviceable with a rose sensor and fewer features, or way more and get a 4K webcam that tracks you around the room. But for most people, myself included, the PowerConf C200 is a great middle ground, especially now that it's on sale for under $50. I use this webcam every day, and like it so much that I have two of them: one for my treadmill desk and one for the desk in front of the TV in my living room that I use as a monitor.
Cheap USB media control box puts volume and track control a touch away
(Image credit: Amazon)
For those of us who grew up in the 1900s, few things beat a chunky tactile volume knob and physical buttons for controlling media, and Vaydeer's USB device provides that and then some. I own the previous version of this device and love it for controlling and muting music at my treadmill desk while I work.
I use the buttons on it to play / pause audio and video and move forward to the next track or backward to the previous one. It's totally plug and play, as no drivers are needed.
Just plug this simple USB device into a USB port and you can control the volume and select tracks without reaching for your keyboard or mouse.View Deal
8Bitdo SN30 Pro Wireless Bluetooth Controller
What's not to love about a SNES-inspired wireless gaming controller that's compatible with Windows, Mac, Android and the Nintendo Switch? Not much, but I own the original Pro model and not one of these newer models with translucent plastic shells. That's peak late-90s nostalgia and I really don't want to love it as much as I do.
As you might expect given this controller's small size and many more buttons than the SNES controller it was based on, its Rumble motors aren't the strongest, and the layout can feel kind of cramped for some modern games. But for any kind of retro game and especially platformers (I'm looking at you, Super Mario Bros. Wonder), this is my go-to controller. At this price, maybe I should pick up another one.
With its SNES-inspired design and white shell, this controller will appeal to gamers of a certain age. But its appeal goes beyond its looks., with Hall Effect joysticks, and support for the Switch, PC, macOS, and basically any OS that supports games and Bluetooth.View Deal
Go retro with modern specs with this NES-themed mouse from 8BitDo
There are so many gaming mouse options, most with specs that go well above and beyond my abilities. So I chose something with style that caught my eye, 8BitDo's Retro R8 Mouse with Charging Dock. This NES-inspired mouse is designed for nostalgia, with its black, gray, and red color scheme and round red side buttons. But 8BitDo went the extra mile (or two) by designing a weighted charging dock (with its own NES-like touches), and a spot for the 2.4 GHz dongle. This is the kind of extra feature that's more common in mice that cost twice as much.
The nostalgia of this mouse's design is nice. But it also sports a 26,000 DPI sensor, 4K polling, and a really nice charging dock that also houses the 2.4 GHz dongle. If you're in a pinch or just not gaming, Bluetooth is also supported. View Deal
Under the hood, you get a decent 26,000 DPI sensor and 4K polling (plenty for us older, non-esports gamers), and an ambidextrous design with two side buttons on either side, and a clicky, rubberized scroll wheel. The side buttons, which are concave, took a little getting used to for me. But they are also so distinctive that now I miss them while using other mice.
Never run out of USB ports with this powered 11-port hub
If you're like me, you never have access to enough USB ports. I solved this problem by picking up this Ikai hub, with 60W of power for your drives and peripherals and a premium metal shell. It sports three speedy 10 Gbps ports (two USB-C), along with seven 5 GBps USB-A ports. The final USB-C on the end of the hub is for charging your phone or other devices, and delivers 20W.
The other nice feature, is that all the data ports have a button on the side so you can toggle them on and off. Aside from saving a bit of power, I also find this handy for swapping between wireless mice and keyboards, while keeping the tiny dongles plugged in so I don't lose them.
With 11 ports and up to 10 Gbps speed, a solid aluminum shell, and buttons so you can cut the power to individual ports, this USB hub is a great addition to your desk. It has external power for better stability, and even a 20W USB-C PD port on the end for charging phones or peripherals.View Deal
The sole thing to keep in mind about this (and basically any) hub, is that it has a single 10 Gbps input. So don't expect to plug in multiple high-data devices (like SSDs) and have them run simultaneously at full speed. If that's what you need, you'll need to get a Thunderbolt or USB4 hub (and spend significantly more).
Add recessed power and USB ports to your desk for just $16
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
OK, this one's only for the DIY-inclined, because it involves cutting a hole in your desk (or anywhere else you might want some flush-mount power ports, like a nightstand). Jgstkcity's recessed power strip lets you drop a couple of AC outlets and two USB charging ports (one 30W USB-C) anywhere you need them – again, once you've cut a hole for it.
While it's always smart to be wary of no-name power strips, I've owned the older non-PD version of this strip for over two years and it's been functioning just fine. I have it installed in the narrow stand I built right behind my couch. It's a super-convenient place for power outlets, especially when friends or family stop by. I just warn people not to put drinks there. Thankfully, the coffee table is even more convenient for that and it's right in front of the couch.
You'll likely need a drill and a saw to install it, but having a couple of power plugs and USB-C PD power right on the surface of your desk or nightstand is super convenient. View Deal
Stay charged and save space while traveling abroad with Anker's slim Nano Travel Adapter
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
When you're traveling to another country for more than a few days, every small bit of space you can save helps. But you also usually need a travel adapter to plug your devices into the outlets of other countries. Anker's Nano Travel adapter serves both needs well, as it's roughly half the thickness of other adapters and is designed to work in over 200 countries.
The Nano Travel Adapter also has four USB ports for charging, which I've found super convenient for keeping my phone, ereader, and earbuds juiced up without needing a separate charger. There are two USB-A ports on the bottom and two USB-C on the side, with the latter delivering up to 20W. It also comes in black or white/silver. I opted for the white one, which makes it easier to find after months in a drawer when I'm not traveling.
Anker's slim travel adapter is 43% smaller than many other adapters, while supporting over 200 countries with its fold-down plugs. It also has two USB-C and two USB-A ports for charging, at up to 20W. View Deal
The major downside over other travel chargers is that the Nano Travel Adapter doesn't support plugging in devices with three-prong (grounded) plugs. But I haven't found this an issue since I typically plug things like my Baseus flat laptop charger in while traveling, rather than high-power devices like a desktop PC or hair dryer.
Powerowl's rechargeable batteries are good and surprisingly cheap
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
When I first started using rechargeable batteries with my Walkman in the early 90s, they were kind of awful (but still better than spending all my money feeding my music addiction). They couldn't hold a charge and didn't last nearly as long as name-brand disposable batteries. But here in the mid-2020s, rechargeables are surprisingly good.
Panasonic's Eneloops arguably ushered in the rechargeable AA and AAA renaissance, but PowerOwl's batteries are a lot more affordable and I haven't had a single one fail in over three years of using them in my various remotes, smart door locks, and other devices.
These PowerOwl Pro AA batteries are rated to 2800mAh (though I wouldn't put stock in that spec) and are rated to keep 60% of their power for two years. The included USB-powered charger isn't the fastest (10 hours rated), but it gets the job done. Clip the coupon to get it at this price.View Deal
If there's one thing everyone with modern tech could probably use at this point, it's an extra high-speed and compact charger. The Baseus 65W Flat Wall Charger is my favorite. It's especially great for travel, because it outputs 45W over USB-C for my laptop and up to 20W over USB-A for my phone or other devices, all while folding to a slim 0.66 inches thick. It's smaller than a deck of cards and easily fits in pretty much any bag pocket.
Its slim shape should also help keep the device fully inserted in loose hotel room power sockets, and while the outer shell is plastic, the build quality feels solid, and it includes a 3.3-foot USB-C charging cable for those of us who aren't already drowning in cables from other devices. You'll have to provide your own USB-A cable to charge a second device, but at its current sale price, there's hardly a reason to complain about that. And who doesn't have an extra USB-A charging cable at this point?
TP-Link's AX1800 WiFi 6 USB Adapter delivers Wi-Fi 6 to older devices over USB
(Image credit: TP-Link)
Have you upgraded your router to Wi-Fi 6 or later, but your desktop or laptop doesn't have the requisite hardware to take advantage of your recent network tech? TP-Link's AX1800 WiFi 6 USB Adapter is here to solve that problem for you. It's quite large by USB Wi-Fi dongle standards, but I've found it works quite well with the Wi-Fi 6 router I bought in 2020.
I have the router running downstairs from my office. And it instantly fixed an issue I was having with very poor reception from the SFF PC I built in the Fractal Terra case.
Sure, it's big and bulky with two antennas, but this Wi-Fi 6 USB adapter can deliver some serious speed to your desktop or laptop when paired with a Wi-Fi 6 or later router.View Deal
Orico USB 3.0 Clamp Hub is easy to mount on many desks
This is a four-port, 5Gbps USB-A hub that's designed to clamp onto your monitor or desk and give you extra convenient connectivity.
It comes in black or silver and has a nice, sturdy metal frame. Just note that its clamp section is pretty shallow and its adjustable screw can only open between 10 and 32 mm, so it won't fit on all monitors or desks.
An otherwise standard four-port USB 3.0 hub, this Orico model stands out for its metal frame and clamp design.View Deal
Clean up the cables under your desk with a tray
(Image credit: Delamu)
If you to get a handle on the PC cables in your home or office, some cheap cable management trays will do the job. This two-pack comes with tape, though heavier loads will ultimately require some screws.
Besides the trays, this kit also comes with cable ties and a few cable clips you can place along the bottom or sides of your desk. One of these has been holding up the PC cable clutter in my living room for the past year. But I had to screw it into my desk because it's holding one of the above Anker power strips, plus the large external power brick from my LG OLED TV/Monitor.
If there's a rats nest of cables under your desk, attaching some trays can help you clean it up. This set has tape for light loads, but for longer-term cleanliness, you probably want to consider screws.View Deal
Keep a fast charging cable with your keys
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
You may, like me, be swimming in a world of USB cables. But that doesn't mean you always have one when you need it away from home. This short 240W USB4 charging cable from EndlesShine solves that by being small enough to attach to your keys. It's not always convenient, at just over 5 inches long, but it will do in a pinch, and has come in handy more than once, particularly on trips when I'm traveling light.
It's short in length, at 5.11 inches, but this keychain cable supports 240W charging and USB4 (40Gbps speeds). Clip it onto your keys and you'll always have a fast cable when you need one.View Deal
If you're the type who is rough with your keys, the plastic cap may wear out over time, so you might want to just keep the cable in a pocket or your bag. It even comes in white and yellow if you don't like basic black.
It's Amazon Prime Day 2026 deals time, and the gaming monitor deals are coming in fast and furious. Whether you're looking for a gaming monitor with fast response times and high refresh rates or an expansive productivity offering with a webcam, there's something for everyone. Smaller sales and events are now popping up all over the place, and we're tracking all of those sales for you here.
We constantly comb through the best deals across multiple retailers, selecting the best based on in-depth knowledge gained from our thorough reviews, extensive benchmarks, and comprehensive historical price analysis, and keep an updated list below. If you want even more options, we also have our list of Best Gaming Monitors and our Prime Day Gaming Monitor Deals hub, but we're putting the hottest deals in this blog.
Black Friday is more pertinent than ever for PC builders, as an AI-driven memory shortage apocalypse sends prices skyrocketing. Indeed, we're seeing price increases of over 100% on the most popular RAM products, so the best option could be to upgrade your monitor to a higher resolution to squeeze more gaming quality out of your existing system. On that front, we've found plenty of deals to satisfy even the most demanding monitor aficionados, as you can see below.
One of the most popular deals on Amazon right now, get this 34-inch ViewFinity monitor from Samsung for just $219, a return to its lowest-ever price. Comes with a 100Hz refresh rate, WQHD resolution, HDR10 support, AMD FreeSync, and more. View Deal
This 32-inch curved gaming monitor sports 1440p resolution, a top refresh rate of 180 Hz, and variable refresh. It’s a VA panel, which should deliver better contrast than IPS when you’re sitting directly in front of it.View Deal
This gaming monitor from Asus spans 27 inches across and features an IPS panel. It has a dense, QHD resolution and a 180 Hz refresh rate, which are great specs for gaming. It also has both DisplayPort and HDMI input options. View Deal
This 27-inch Samsung gaming screen isn't much more expensive than an office monitor. But it sports a 180 Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and FreeSync variable refresh. It's a VA panel, which generally means better contrast and deeper blacks than TN or IPS, but viewing angles likely aren't the best.View Deal
The Corsair Xeneon Edge is a 14.5-inch display designed to serve as an extension for your desktop and give you a small screen to host your most important apps. Its versatility means you can mount it practically anywhere — horizontally under your main monitor, vertically beside your primary display, or as a digital status panel inside your PC case.View Deal
Start your engines....or your monitors.
Prime Day is in full swing, and the monitor deals are thick this year. We also have our Best Prime Day gaming monitor deals 2026 — huge discounts on 4K, gaming, and productivity screens article that has a much more compact listing of items for you to peruse, and we keep that constantly updated as well. Hit that article if you want a dense format, but this Live Blog has the by-the-minute updates with the latest deals served up immediately.
We also have over 20 other Prime Day hubs dedicated to various hardware, which you can check out here:
The Asus ROG Strix XG279CNS kicks off our Prime Day blog with the firm's 27-inch panel retailing for a mere $229, a 23% discount off its normal $299 price tag.
For eSports gamers looking for an edge of the competition, the ROG Strix XG279CNS offers a 1080p resolution with an ultra-fast 380 Hz refresh rate. You get a 27-inch IPS panel, which should ensure good viewing angles, and it even includes ROG Gaming AI technology for in-game enhancements.View Deal
This monitor is specifically for headshotters that focus on bleeding-edge frame rates for eSports, with its 1080p resolution firing at 380 Hz to give an advantage to those with the fastest of reflexes. Given that low resolution, you won't need a massive GPU to push this panel to the limits. The screen has a Fast IPS screen that still delivers good picture quality, and a 0.3ms gray-to-gray response time to combat ghosting. The firm's "Extreme Low Motion Blur Sync" (ELMB SYNC) also works to reduce ghosting and tearing.
The panel has HDMI 2,1 DisplayPort 1.4, and USB-C (DP Alt Mode) connectivity options. All of this comes wrapped in a great price tag. — Paul Alcorn
Get a great deal on the TUF Gaming monitor (VG27AQM5A) for only $199.99 on Prime Day - save $100 and upgrade your monitor to a QHD, 300Hz Fast IPS panel and take your gaming to the next level
If you’re in the market for a monitor upgrade, Prime Day 2026 has you covered. Jump up to the 27-inch Asus TUF QHD (2560x1440) 300Hz fast IPS monitor for only $199.00 (33% / $100 off). The VG27AQM5A sports a fast IPS panel, speakers, a swivel-and-tilt stand, and several features like Asus ELMB (Extreme Low Motion Blur Sync), which works with other variable refresh rate technologies it supports, like AMD Freesync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, to eliminate ghosting and screen tearing for sharp visuals in gaming.
(Image credit: Future)
Save 33% on the Asus TUF Gaming VG27AQM5A and upgrade your gaming experience for only $199.00. 27-inch, 300 Hz Fast IPS panel eliminates ghosting and screen tearing, and a 95% DCI-P3 color gamut displays vibrant colors, and all for under $200.View Deal
Additional features include Gaming AI with a dynamic crosshair, dynamic shadow boost (enhances dark areas onscreen), as well as AI Visual that dynamically adjusts settings to provide the best default or use-preset monitor settings. Connectivity consists of a single DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, and a USB-C port, ensuring wide compatibility with a variety of input sources. While there are a lot of deals out there for Prime Day, this is the only 300Hz, QHD, Fast IPS panel under $200 we could find. Get it before it’s too late. — Matt Safford
Need a new monitor on the cheap? This all-time-low $118 option from ViewSonic sports a 27-inch, 1440p VA panel and 100 Hz variable refresh
(Image credit: ViewSonic)
It’s easy to get excited about high-end OLED displays with fast refresh rates and other premium features. But a lot of us can’t afford the best, and sometimes you just need a solid monitor that does a good-enough job at productivity and gaming. Enter ViewSonic’s VS2725-2K, a 27-inch, 1440 screen with basic looks but slim bezels, which is on sale for Prime Day at an all-time low (at least at Amazon) price of $118
This 27-inch, 1440p monitor sports 2560 x 1440 resolution, and a variable refresh that tops out at 100Hz, with a brightness rating of 250 nits. It’s a VA panel, which means extra contrast for those right in front of the screen, but viewing angles won’t be as good as an IPS display.View Deal
This isn’t a gaming monitor per se, but with variable refresh and a top speed of 100 Hz, it should serve casual and occasional gamers well, especially if you like good contrast but can’t afford a pricier OLED monitor. Connectivity consists of a pair of HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, and a headphone jack. There are also 2.5-watt speakers, but unless the most you ever do is watch occasional short videos, you should definitely consider one of the best PC speakers we’ve tested. — Matt Safford
This 16-inch IPS portable monitor with a built-in kickstand is on sale for just $71
It turns out that some things are as affordable as they were back in 2024. I picked up this 16-inch Veout portable display during Black Friday of that year, and the screen is back down to the price I paid for it then, just $71. Its 16:10 aspect ratio makes it a little bigger than most portable monitors, and the handy aluminum kickstand feels as sturdy as the rest of the metal frame.
This 16-inch IPS portable monitor sports a 1920 x 1200 resolution, a built-in kickstand, is just 0.3 inches thick and weighs 1.58 pounds. You'll want to get a case for it, but this is a great screen for productivity on the go.View Deal
It isn’t the cheapest portable monitor, but I still think it’s one of the best values around, given it’s an IPS panel rated to 300 candelas, with a nice metal shell and kickstand, plus its larger size. It also comes in different colors for about $5 more. After using this screen off and on for well over a year, my only real complaint is that the kickstand’s orientation isn’t great for portrait orientation. It’s a bit tipsy when vertical, despite the product images prominently showing it in both orientations.
Get that second monitor you’ve been looking for under $90 - save $60 (40%) on the Acer KB272-27 27-inch, 120Hz, FHD monitor during Prime Day 2026
If you’re in the market for a basic second (or third, or fourth) monitor for Prime Day 2026, take a look at the 27-inch Acer KB272-27 monitor. Currently priced at only $89.99, a savings of $60 (40%), this IPS panel runs up to a 120Hz refresh rate and is AMD FreeSync compatible, minimizing screen tearing.
The IPS panel supports a wide color gamut, 99% sRGB, and 250-nit brightness for accurate, vibrant colors. Connectivity consists of an HDMI (v.2.1) and an old-school VGA port (sorry, no USB ports). Note, you’ll need to use the HDMI port for full FHD and 120 Hz. The 1ms (GTG) response time helps reduce smearing and ghosting. Other features include a thin bezel, a stand with tilt adjustment, and a standard VESA mounting capability. Acer stands behind the KB272-27 with a 3-year warranty.
Save $60 (40%) on this Acer 27-inch FHD, 120 Hz refresh rate, IPS monitor. You get 99 % sRGB color coverage, AMD Freesync compatibility, and a stand that tilts. Just $90 gets you that second (or third) monitor you've been looking for.View Deal
While it’s not a fancy OLED with 240 Hz refresh rate, it’s also nowhere near as expensive. But for only $90, you’re not going to find a better deal on a 27-inch FHD, 120Hz IPS panel, even on Prime Day. If you need a second monitor or upgrading from 1080p 60 Hz, this Acer is one of the best deals around. - Joe Shields
The OLED monitor I'm starting at right now is on sale at an all-time low
I recently made the switch from a plain old LED monitor to this fantastic OLED from Samsung. I bought the 32-inch version of the G81SF, and I honestly can't believe how good the image quality and color are. It has transformed gaming on both my PC and my Xbox Series X, and the build quality really shines. Right now in the U.S. at Amazon, the 27-inch model is $699.99. That's the lowest price ever on either model at Amazon.
Get a 4K 240Hz monitor with 0.03ms GtG response time, a premium matte finish, and strong build quality. Also available in 32-inches for just $110 more.View Deal
Headline specs for the G81SF include 4K resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync support, HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort connectivity, and a USB port. Burn-in is less of a concern on OLED numbers these days, but Samsung has still added its Safeguard+ Dynamic Cooling system, which features a Pulsating Heat Pipe that releases coolant to dissipate heat five times faster than a graphite sheet. It also comes with a three-year warranty that includes burn-in coverage, although expect usual caveats about fair usage, etc, to apply. — Stephen Warwick
LG's premium 27-inch RGB Tandem OLED 540 Hz/720 Hz dual-mode gaming monitor is $315 off right now
High-refresh-rate gaming monitors are all the rage these days, with LG being one of the top panel suppliers in the business. It should come as no surprise that LG would include these panels in its own line of gaming monitors, which brings us to this early Prime Day deal on the 27GX790B-B. The monitor has an MSRP of $999 but is already available for $300 off, bringing the price to just $684.99 at Amazon.
The LG 27GX790B-B is definitely a high-end "premium" monitor, featuring an RGB Tandem OLED panel with a 2560 x 1440 (QHD) resolution. More importantly, the panel has a native refresh rate of 540 Hz, which is already among the fastest available. However, if you're willing to drop the resolution to 720p (we're looking at you, eSports fiends), you can boost the refresh rate to a staggering 720 Hz. If you have the graphics muscle to handle pushing out 700+ FPS and you're willing to accept 720p resolution, this one's for you.
The LG 27GX790B-B is a 27-inch QHD monitor with a native 540 Hz refresh rate, but it can switch to 720 Hz at 720p.View Deal
In addition to its speedy fundamentals, the 27GX790B-B also offers AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, features DisplayPort 2.1/HDMI 2.1 ports, and a built-in USB hub (with DisplayPort Alt Mode supported via its USB-C port). — Brandon Hill
Add some touchscreen to your setup
Over the weekend, this discount on the Corsair Xeneon Edge has been extremely popular. This 14.5-inch display is a desktop extension you can add to a PC case or anywhere on your desk. You can show apps like Spotify or YouTube, or pair it with iCUE to show off internal monitoring metrics like CPU and GPU temps. Best of all, it doubles as a touchscreen, letting you manipulate the items displayed.
The Corsair Xeneon Edge is a 14.5-inch display designed to serve as an extension for your desktop and give you a small screen to host your most important apps. Its versatility means you can mount it practically anywhere — horizontally under your main monitor, vertically beside your primary display, or as a digital status panel inside your PC case.View Deal
MSI’s 27-inch, 144Hz, 1080p gaming/office monitor is now a mere $109.99 - office by day, gaming dominance at night
This slick business/gaming crossover model, now priced at $109.99, promises a blend of features suitable for the office, like the MSI Power Link feature (to turn on a compatible MSI mini-PC - attaches to the VESA mount in back - by the monitor’s power button), EyesErgo tech (blue light, anti-flicker/glare), and even an accessory slot on the base for small peripheral storage.
Snag MSI's Pro MP273L E14 27-inch 144Hz IPS gaming/office monitor at an all-time low o $89.99.View Deal
On the other hand, the display features a 144Hz high-refresh-rate IPS panel with a 1ms (MPRT) response time. This configuration supports AMD FreeSync to minimize screen tearing and ghosting. For connectivity, it includes HDMI (v2.0) and a legacy VGA connector, but notably lacks DisplayPort. You will need to use HDMI to reach 144Hz.
For only $109.99 (16% off!), the Pro MP273L E14 monitor is an excellent value, equally adept at efficient office work during the day and intense, high-energy gaming sessions at night. But the real deal is in the low price. Get it now, before it expires. - Joe Shields
Save $300 on a 49-inch Samsung curved monitor with 144 Hz refresh rate - Just $699 let’s you walk away with the awesome Odyssey G9 (G91F) display
Monitors are one item that hasn’t been affected by the AI boom and subsequent lack of memory, and you can still get them at reasonable prices. Prime Day 2026 brings us a great deal, including this Samsung 49-inch curved (1800R) VA display, now only $699 (from $999). The G91F is a huge monitor with a 5120 x 1440-pixel (DualQHD) 32:9 panel, a fast 144 Hz refresh rate (1ms GTG response time), and AMD FreeSync Premium for a smooth image during fast action. You can even play games and watch Twitch or a movie at the same time with Samsung’s Picture by Picture mode.
Step up your monitor game and get a great deal on the Odyssey G9 during Prime Day sales. This massive 49-inch, 144 Hz, curved (1800R) display from Samsung is now on sale for $699.99 matching its all-time lowest price.View Deal
Hardware-wise, the panel supports HDR 600 (250-nit brightness), uses DisplayPort and two HDMI ports for video connectivity, two USB Type-A ports for service and data, and also has 3.5mm jack for headphones (output). I always wanted one of these massive curved monitors for immersive gaming (and productivity work), and it looks like now is the time I need to bite. - Joe Shields
This Alienware screen uses fast-IPS panel tech to deliver a sharp 1440p resolution, with a fast 180Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and 95% DCI-P3 color gamut. View Deal
This panel uses fast-IPS tech to deliver great picture quality and 95% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, yet it still retains a 1ms response time.
You also get 2 HDMI ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 port, along with 2 SUB 5Gbps type-A ports for downstream, and one Type-B for upstream. Impressive indeed, especially at this price point. — Paul Alcorn
In this era of ballooning prices, a gaming monitor upgrade offers some of the best bang for your buck of any component upgrade. Case in point: MSI's MAG 272URDF E16, a dual-mode Rapid IPS display that lets you have both the crispy detail of 4K and the responsiveness of 320Hz 1080p gaming in one display. Best of all, this versatile monitor is just $259.99 at Newegg right now.
Get MSI's versatile MAG 272URDF E16 dual-mode 4K 160Hz/1080p 320Hz display and enjoy both crisp 4K and responsive 1080p gaming at high refresh rates, all in one monitor. View Deal
Unlike many cheap monitors, the 272URDF E16 doesn't cut many corners to hit this low price. It still boasts a 400-nit maximum brightness, a wide 93% DCI-P3 color gamut, and variable refresh rates from 48 to 160 Hz in 4K mode and 48 to 320Hz in 1080p mode.
It offers one DisplayPort 1.4a connector and two console-ready HDMI 2.1 ports, plus a built-in USB 2.0 hub for peripherals. And its fully articulated stand still offers height, tilt, pivot, and swivel adjustments.
Get this versatile, budget-friendly display and enjoy the best image quality modern upscalers like DLSS 4.5 and FSR 4 can offer in AAA games, along with fast, responsive gaming in more competitive titles. What's not to love? -- Jeff Kampman
Alienware’s updated 240Hz 34 QD-OLED is down to an Prime Day all-time low at $629, cutting 21% off its list price
The Alienware 34 QD-OLED was the first mainstream QD-OLED monitor, and the updated version sporting a newer QD-OLED panel and faster 240Hz refresh rate is on sale for its lowest price ever for Prime Day. You can get the monitor for $629.99, which is 21% off its list price of $799.99.
The Alienware AW3424DW is an ultrawide 21:9 display with a QD-OLED panel. It has a resolution of 3440 x 1440 and a refresh rate of 240Hz. View Deal
We reviewed this model, the AW3425DW, last year, and gave it a near-perfect score. At the time, it featured the lowest input lag out of any monitor we’d ever tested, and it boasts exceptional color performance, with a color error of just 1.33 based on our testing.
Alienware’s take on this panel has a few unique goodies, as well. It comes with a three-year warranty that covers burn-in, as well as built-in panel-saving features like pixel shifting. This model uses a newer QD-OLED panel that addresses some of the color fringing issues on earlier QD-OLED panels. — Jake Roach
Get a 240Hz gaming monitor upgrade for under $100
If you're still gaming on a 1080p 60Hz display in 2026, it's well past time for a higher-refresh-rate upgrade for smoother, more responsive gaming. That upgrade doesn't have to be expensive during this Prime Day period, though. Newegg has MSI's 240Hz MAG 245F X24 display for just $97.99 right now.
Get MSI's 240Hz MAG 245F gaming monitor today and step up to a high-refresh-rate, variable-refresh-rate display for under $100. View Deal
This Rapid IPS 1080p display may not be the fanciest around, but it's got everything you need for a solid high-refresh-rate gaming experience. 100+% coverage of the sRGB gamut, variable refresh rate support, and three display inputs - one DisplayPort 1.2a port and two HDMI 2.0b connectors - give you plenty of connectivity for multiple devices. And a tilt stand lets you set your preferred viewing angle with ease. Treat yourself to a modern gaming experience today for under $100. -- Jeff Kampman
The Asus ROG Strix 27-inch OLED (XG27AQDMGR) is down to its cheapest price ever for Prime Day
Asus makes some of the best OLED gaming monitors, and the XG27AQDMGR shows off that prowess. It comes from Asus’ lower XG range, which trims some of the premium features of monitors in the PG range for a cheaper price, but otherwise uses an identical panel. This monitor has benefited a lot for the rapid advancements in OLED panels, and you can score it now for just $449.
The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMGR is a 27-inch, 1440p monitor with a QD-OLED panel. It boasts a 240Hz refresh and 0.03ms GtG response times.View Deal
Although we’ve seen OLEDs push ahead to 480Hz at 1440p, the specs here are still excellent. You get a 240Hz, 1440p panel from LG Display. So it’s WOLED instead of QD-OLED. With this generation of panels, you can expect slightly worse color performance out of WOLED but superior brightness.
XG monitors may trim some premium features, but this display still offers a lot. It includes Asus’ Neo Proximity Sensor to automatically dim the display when you’re away, as well as DisplayPort 2.1 support. — Jake Roach
Save $150 on MSI's MAG 272QP QD-OLED gaming monitor
If you're ready to try out OLED gaming for the first time, you have an abundance of options this Prime Day season. MSI's MAG 272QP is well worth your consideration for just $349.99 at Newegg right now.
Step up to an OLED gaming monitor with MSI's MAG 272QP. Its crisp 1440p resolution, fluid 240Hz refresh rate, and near-instant response times go great with its vivid 99% DCI-P3 color gamut. View Deal
This 27" 2560x1440 240Hz display is fast and sharp, and it'll show crystal-clear motion thanks to its QD-OLED panel's near-instant response times. It offers 99% coverage of the wide DCI-P3 gamut for colors that pop in addition to its practically infinite contrast ratio.
Two HDMI 2.1 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4a connector, and a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode offer versatile connectivity, and a fully adjustable stand with height, pivot, and tilt adjustments make finding a comfy viewing angle simple. Upgrade to an enviable OLED gaming experience and save $150 today. -- Jeff Kampman
This 120Hz travel display might not be any good, but at $70, it's worth a shot
We pride ourselves here at Tom’s Hardware on finding good deals on good products so we’re not just slinging slop with the highest discount. This WUAWE portable monitor is pretty compelling, though. It’s a 16-inch travel display sporting a 1920 x 1200 resolution (16:10), and critically, a 120Hz refresh rate. There are plenty of cheap portable monitors under $100, but this is the only one we could find with a 120Hz refresh rate - and it's just $69.99 right now.
The 16-inch WUAWE portable travel monitor sports a 1920 x 1200 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. View Deal
The monitor comes with a built-in kickstand that apparently supports landscape and portrait modes. It can connect via USB-C or mini-HDMI, but you’ll need to supply power over USB-C for the latter. The display actually comes with two USB-C ports in the event you want to connect multiple devices.
You shouldn’t expect any miracles out of the image; I’m expecting quite the opposite. But this is a dirt-cheap, high-refresh-rate display for traveling, and that’s good enough considering the price. And, worst case, you get free returns. — Jake Roach
Get MSI's 500Hz MAG 272QP X50 display for unparalleled gaming smoothness at an all-time low price
If you demand the smoothest, clearest motion from your gaming monitor, the MSI MAG 272QP X50 will get you there with its practically instant OLED response times and 500Hz refresh rate, all at an all-time low price. View Deal
Like MSI's other premium QD-OLED displays, the MAG 272QP X50 offers practically infinite contrast, DisplayHDR 500 True Black certification for a true HDR experience, and 99% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut for exceptionally vivid color. A DisplayPort 1.4a connector, two HDMI 2.1 ports, and a USB Type-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode suppport give you all the connectivity options you'll need, and a fully adjustable stand makes finding the best viewing angle a snap.
To push this monitor's incredible refresh rate to the max, you'll likely want an RTX 50-series graphics card with MFG support if you don't already have one, so check out our best graphics card deals for a suitable high-end pairing. -- Jeff Kampman
Score a 1440p, 200Hz gaming monitor for just $159.99 with 42% off the Gigabyte M27Q2
For years, the goal has been a high refresh rate 1440p display under $200, and now we’re starting to see them. The 200Hz Gigabyte M27Q2 normally sells for $280, which is a decent price considering its specs and Superspeed IPS panel. But on Newegg, you can get it for $159.99 right now, which is a 42% discount off its list price.
The Gigabyte M27Q2 is a 27-inch 1440p monitor with a 200Hz refresh rate. It comes with an adjustable stand a built-in KVM switch. View Deal
The display comes with a host of goodies that are surprising for the price, including an adjustable stand with swivel, pivot, height, and tilt adjustments, along with a USB-C input and built-in KVM switch. The display also comes with FreeSync Premium and a G-Sync Compatible badge.
Given that this is a Superspeed IPS display, you shouldn’t expect the jaw-dropping contrast of an OLED. But Gigabyte tries to enhance the color with a layer of quantum dots, and IPS panels are largely lauded for their color accuracy. — Jake Roach
Get this Acer 27-inch 240Hz QD-OLED gaming monitor for just $330
If you’re looking for value in the OLED gaming monitors segment, we have some good news for you. Thanks to OLED panels flooding the market and newer OLED technologies seemingly arriving every month, we have great deals on monitors like the Acer Predator X27U, which is currently selling for $314.99 at Amazon, a significant discount from its usual $549.99 asking price.
The Acer Predator X27U is a value-priced 27-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor with a 1440p resolution and 240 Hz refresh rate.View Deal
Any time OLED monitors, especially with a QD-OLED panel, dip below $400, we start taking notice. And in the case of the X27U, it’s even closer to the $300 mark. You’ll get a 26.5-inch panel with a 2560 x 1440 resolution and a speedy 240 Hz refresh rate. The monitor supports AMD FreeSync Premium and comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports and a single DisplayPort 1.4 hookup. It also has a full range of tilt, swivel, and height adjustments.
The X27U is a relatively low-frills QD-OLED monitor, but at this price point, it’s hard to complain given its fundamentals.
Arzopa’s 16.1-inch 180Hz 1440p portable monitor is now just $138 for Prime Day
Portable monitors seem to be all the rage these days; in just a few short years, we’ve gone from having little variety to being showered with options across multiple sizes, form factors, and performance categories. If you skew more towards the gaming side of things in your requirements for a portable monitor, the Arzopa Z3FC is available with a solid 19% discount, bringing its price to $137.74.
The Arzopa Z3FC is a 16.1-inch class portable monitor with a 1440p resolution and a speedy 180 Hz refresh rateView Deal
Arzopa is well known for producing quality monitors at affordable prices, and the Z3FC is no exception. I tested the monitor earlier this year and came away impressed with its build quality, color performance, and speed. It also helps that it comes with a handy storage sleeve for travel.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The Z3FC has a relatively large 16.1-inch IPS panel, which is just outside the 15.4-inch norm for portable monitors. That extra real estate also comes with a bump in resolution from the typical 1920 x 1080 to 2560 x 1440. Add in the 180 Hz refresh rate, up from the standard 60 Hz on most portable monitors, and you have a great monitor you can pair with your Nintendo Switch on the go, or even an Xbox or PlayStation in a pinch. — Brandon Hill
ViewSonic's VX2730D-4K is the cheapest dual-mode 4K display around, and it's a good one
Dual-mode 4K displays are a hot item this Prime Day, and we've found the cheapest one yet in ViewSonic's VX2730D. This IPS panel offers a 144Hz 4K mode for smooth, crisp AAA visuals and a 288Hz 1080p mode for high-refresh-rate esports gameplay. We just reviewed the VX2730D and lauded its performance and value at its $279 MSRP, and it's now an even better deal for just $237.99 at Amazon (and at Best Buy).
ViewSonic's VX2730D-4K is a colorful, versatile dual-mode 4K gaming monitor with 144Hz 4K and 288Hz 1080p modes, and it's the cheapest such display you'll find right now. View Deal
In addition to its dual-mode versatility, the VX2730D offers vivid color wth 98% DCI-P3 coverage, and it has impressive color accuracy both out of the box and with calibration. It has a single DisplayPort 1.4 connector and two HDMI 2.1 ports for consoles, and it supports both G-Sync Compatible and FreeSync variable refresh rates for tear-free gaming.
The only missing feature for those who don't game is an sRGB emulation mode for photo and web work. But if you just want to enjoy games in colorful, high-refresh-rate 1080p and 4K glory in one flexible monitor, this is an awesome deal. -- Jeff Kampman
Save 47% on Samsung's excellent 32-inch 240 Hz 4K Odyssey gaming monitor
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SD) is a premium 32-inch gaming monitor built around a 4K QD-OLED panel. Right now, Amazon is selling the monitor for $657.77, which is $47% off its normal list price.
The G80SD’s OLED panel features Quantum Dot enhancement, delivering vibrant colors, deep blacks, and wide color coverage. It offers a 240 Hz refresh rate and features an ultra-fast 0.03 ms gray-to-gray response time, making it ideal for competitive gaming on high-end PC setups. It is also compatible with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-Sync for smooth, tear-free gameplay.
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SD) is a great 32-inch-class monitor sporting a 4K 240 Hz QD-OLED display.View Deal
You’ll also find HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort connectivity, while Samsung's OLED Glare-Free coating helps reduce reflections. To address OLED longevity concerns, Samsung incorporates its OLED Safeguard+ suite, which includes a dynamic cooling system, thermal modulation, and automatic brightness adjustments for static elements such as logos and taskbars to help minimize screen burn-in.
Beyond gaming, the monitor Samsung's Gaming Hub, allowing you to access cloud gaming services and connected consoles, while built-in Smart TV features allow streaming without a PC. — Brandon Hill
Max refresh: Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF is stellar deal
Another monitor to keep an eye on is the Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF. It is yet another brilliant monitor with a QD-OLED panel, but this one has some more impressive specs up its sleeve. It has a QHD resolution, but has a maximum refresh rate of 500 Hz. So, if you have the graphics muscle to push that kind of frame rate in eSports titles, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better monitor at this price point.
The Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF is a 27-inch QD-OLED monitor that aims to impress with a QHD resolution and a 500 Hz refresh rate.View Deal
The G60SF retails for $999.99, but is currently on sale with a 40 percent discount, taking it to just $599.99 for Prime Day at Amazon. Samsung says the G60SF is also DisplayHDR True Black 500-certified and offers 1,000 nits of peak brightness. - Brandon Hill
Upgrade to 1440p with this absurdly cheap Acer Nitro gaming monitor
I regularly defend 1080p gamers (I've even doing it in this very blog) but that doesn't mean you have to settle for 1080p. There are some stonkingly good deals on 1440p gaming monitors out there right now, including this Acer Nitro KG271U display, which Amazon has dropped in price to less than $140.
This Acer Nitro KG271U gaming monitor is a 1440p display with an IPS panel and a 180Hz refresh rate. It has two HDMI 2.1 and one DisplayPort 1.2 connections, along with AMD FreeSync support to eliminate screen tearsView Deal
This formidable display is 27 inches wide and uses an IPS panel, which offers better viewing angles and no color distortion, at least compared to rival tech. A top resolution of 2,560 x 1,440, combined with a 180Hz refresh rate, make this a fine option for gaming, with the boost from 1080p ensuring that you enjoy sharper visuals and finer details in any big cinematic games you play.
It even offers HDR 10 support, so you can enjoy HDR content (including in-game) for improved contrast levels and more vibrant colors. This Acer Nitro KG271U display is a worthy option for gaming, either as your main display or as a secondary, especially for just $135. -- Ben Stockton
It’s hard to knock a sub-$100 27-inch IPS gaming monitor – ASRock’s Phantom Gaming PG27FFT1A hits 180 Hz, drops to a new low of $93
If you’re after a budget gaming monitor that doesn’t make major compromises, and your budget tops out around $100, ASRock’s Phantom Gaming PG27FFT1A just might be your best option this Prime Day. It’s a 27-inch IPS with a 180 Hz top refresh rate, variable refresh, and an impressive brightness rating of 450 nits. The latter spec is something I’d expect to see in a monitor that costs three times as much – most budget screens are rated to around 250 nits. This is a whole lot of monitor for its lowest-ever sale price of $93 at Newegg.
This 27-inch IPS gaming monitor sports a max refresh of 180 Hz, 1080p resolution, and a high brightness rating (for a budget screen) of 450 nits. It has two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort connector, and ASRock rates it to deliver 123% of the sRGB color gamut.View Deal
The most obvious limitation here is the 1920 x 1080 resolution, which many will find less than ideal on a 27-inch panel. But you’d have to pay at least $30 more to get a 1440p gaming monitor in this class, and you’ll typically have to settle for a VA panel (better contrast, but worse viewing angles and colors than IPS, generally) and less brightness than the PG27FFT1A delivers. This is arguably the best budget monitor deal I’ve seen this deals season. – Matt Safford
MSI's massive 49-inch QD-OLED ultrawide monitor drops to its lowest price this year — $699 gets you 5120 x 1440, 144 Hz, and a built-in KMV
If you're after a massive ultra-wide monitor without paying Samsung money, MSI's ultrawide MPG 491CQP has dropped to $699 at Newegg, its lowest price this year. With a QD-OLED panel for deep blacks and vivid colors, it also brings a 144 Hz refresh rate, 90 W USB-C charging, and the pixel real estate of two 1440p screens (5120 x 1440).
Get a 5120 x 1440 monitor with OLED panel, 144Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms GtG response time, Display HDR True Black 400, and a bunch of ports. View Deal
You'll need a big desk for this bad boy, but its 1800R curve helps the 49-inch screen take up less horizontal space. You get the usual pair of HDMI (2.1) ports and a DisplayPort 1.4a, along with a two-port USB hub/KMV switch that lets you control multiple PCs with the same peripherals, plugged into the monitor. Of course, MSI bundles in its own burn in protections, and there's a three-year warranty in case you have hardware issues.
Asus delivers affordable WOLED gaming with the lowest-ever price on the 27-inch ROG Strix XG27AQDMGR – 240 Hz refresh, 1440p, and high brightness
(Image credit: Amazon / Asus)
If you’re after an OLED display that gets bright and won’t break the bank, Asus’ recently launched ROG Strix XG27AQDMGR is down to its lowest-ever price of $449 at Amazon for Prime Day. It’s a glossy 27-inch panel with 1440p resolution and 240 Hz refresh rate. But the biggest selling point might be its brightness. This is a next-gen LG WOLED panel that adds a white subpixel to the typical red, green, and blue, amping up the brightness to an impressive rating of 1300 nits – with the TrueBlack Glossy film and all that brightness, this panel will certainly make your games and other content pop.
This 27-inch gaming monitor sports a latest-generation WOLED panel for high brightness (up to 1300 nits), 1440p resolution, 240 Hz refresh, and 99% of the DCI-P3 color space. At its lowest-ever deal price, it’s a surprisingly affordable way to game on a cutting-edge screen. View Deal
Aside from its impressive panel, Asus outfits the XG27AQDMGR with a handy adjustable proximity sensor, so the panel turns off when you’re away, helping to keep burn-in to a minimum and extend panel life. You also get Asus’ ELMB panel strobing tech to reduce motion blur, VRR, and a two-port USB hub, alongside the typical video connectivity: Twk HDMI and a DisplayPort. Asus also offers a three-year warranty that covers burn-in, which is a year longer than that LG offers with its own OLED monitors. – Matt Safford
Five-star Alienware AW2725DF 360 Hz OLED monitor drops to its lowest-ever price of $489 — 25% off this ‘ near-perfect display for gaming or productivity’
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Perhaps it’s the high prices of… pretty much everything else, but we are seeing lots of deals on modestly sized 27-inch monitors this Prime Day, and at its lowest-ever price of $484 at Amazon, this one stands out. When we reviewed the AW2725DF, we called it “a near-perfect display for gaming or productivity when space is limited,” and praised the screen for its stunningly fast 360 Hz refresh rate and smoothness, while delivering a wider color gamut than even other OLED monitors.
This 27-inch QD-OLED monitor brings a typical-for-its-size 1440p resolution, but a fast 360 Hz refresh rate, alongside a 1000-nit brightness rating, and a 3-year warranty. In our testing, it also delivered better color than other OLEDs.View Deal
When we reviewed this screen in 2024, it beat the next most colorful 27-inch OLED we had tested by 10%, which is enough to notice. And we found the color to be accurate, both DCI-P3 and sRGB, with no need for calibration. Hands down, this is one of the best-looking compact OLED monitors out of the box, and considering it was priced at $900 when we looked at it in 2024, its current sale price is hard to ignore.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
On a tight budget? Sceptre’s E225W-FW144 has you covered with a 22-inch, 144 Hz variable refresh option for just $59
With the price of so many other components in the stratosphere, it’s refreshing to see an actual gaming monitor (and one from a brand I’ve actually heard of, no less) priced at just $59.97 at Amazon. The Sceptre E225W-FW144 is normally $72, so don’t expect loads of features or a large screen. But the 22-inch VA panel does offer variable refresh and a max refresh of 144 Hz. That’s more than you’ll get from most models in this price range.
There’s no denying this is a no-frills gaming monitor. But you do get 1080p resolution in a 22-inch VA panel, with 144 Hz variable refresh and a 250-nit brightness rating, and a VESA mount around back. View Deal
Port selection is more or less the minimum, with a pair of HDMI (hey, that’s more than one!), DisplayPort, and an audio jack. The ports are nicely color-coded though, in a way that reminds me of PC tech from a couple decades ago.
There are also speakers here, but I can’t imagine anyone with ears would enjoy them, since speakers in monitors that cost four times as much are usually bad. You’re probably better off using whatever Bluetooth speaker you use in the shower. Just make sure you bring the speaker from the shower to the monitor and not the other way around. But to be serious, in these days of high prices everywhere, it’s nice to see something that’s shockingly affordable.
Big-screen gaming for $169: $20 Newegg gift card takes 32-inch, 180 Hz UltraGear 32GS60QC-B down to its lowest-ever price
(Image credit: Newegg / LG)
There are plenty of appealing budget gaming monitor deals swirling around right now. But if you’re after something bigger than 27 inches, Newegg’s sale on the LG UltraGear 32GS60QC-B is the best I’ve seen today. Already down 36% from its $299 list price, the retailer throws in a $20 gift card, taking the price all the way down to $169. And that’s a shockingly affordable price for a 32-inch gaming screen with these specs.
This 32-inch curved gaming monitor sports 1440p resolution, a top refresh rate of 180 Hz, and variable refresh. It’s a VA panel, which should deliver better contrast than IPS when you’re sitting directly in front of it.View Deal
Some will scoff at the VA panel used here, and to be fair it’s not the best panel tech for a monitor at this screen’s typical price. But it’s far more understandable under $200, and VA panels do have contrast advantages when you’re sitting directly in front of the screen. And since this is also a curved gaming monitor, there’s a better chance you will be sitting right in front of it while using it.
Connectivity is the typical two HDMIs and a DisplayPort. LG rates the panel at 300 nits of brightness, a step above the typical budget 250 range, and it ships with a one-year warranty. --Matt Safford
The Asus ROG Strix OLED XG27AQWMG 27-inch gaming monitor is a smoking deal at $549
The ASUS ROG Strix OLED XG27AQWMG is a premium 27-inch gaming monitor with a 1440p Tandem OLED panel. The monitor launched at $649 and is now priced at just $549 on Amazon, which is an amazing price given its capabilities.
The Asus ROG Strix XG27AQWMG offers a 27-inch 1440p 280 Hz Tandem OLED panel and offers excellent color performance.View Deal
It features an ultra-fast 280 Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms gray-to-gray response time, delivering exceptionally smooth motion and minimal blur. We reviewed the monitor earlier this year, and it hit all the right notes in terms of performance. Not only was color performance off the charts, but it had incredibly low input lag. And given the underlying WOLED technology, the XG27AQWMG excels in delivering high brightness levels that most QD-OLEDs can’t match. — Brandon Hill
Dell’s 24-inch SE2426HG gaming monitor sizzles with a 240 Hz IPS panel for $95
In a time when memory and storage prices have us all feeling a bit “under the weather” about system upgrades, many of us are looking for other ways to get more bang for our tech buck. One segment of the PC market that has seen dramatic price drops rather than increases has been monitors, and there’s no further evidence of that with the Dell 24 (SE2426HG), which is available for just $94.99 at Amazon.
The Dell 24 SE2426HG is a value-priced 24-inch monitor with a 1080p resolution and a 240 Hz refresh rate.View Deal
The SE2426HG measures just 24 inches across, which makes its relatively low 1920 x 1080 resolution less of an issue if you’re worried about being able to spot individual pixels. But where the SE2426HG really grabs your attention is its 240 Hz refresh rate, a heady number for a sub-$100 monitor. On top of that, you’re still getting a solid IPS panel, AMD FreeSync Premium support, two HDMI ports, and a DisplayPort 1.4 port.
For something priced this low, the SE2426HG offers a lot for bargain shoppers who don’t want to spend four times that price for a QHD OLED gaming monitor. — Brandon Hill
MSI throws down the Prime Day gauntlet with an $80 MAG 272F 27-inch 200 Hz gaming monitor
We’ve seen some big pricing moves in the gaming monitor space, and it’s a wonderful thing to see given the pricing pressure in other tech segments. As we’ve seen with the Dell 24, there’s plenty of room to play in the sub-$100 space with gaming monitors, but MSI is taking it to the extreme with the MAG 272F. The monitor carries a $149.99 list price, and Amazon regularly sells it for just over $100. However, Amazon subsidiary Woot.com is selling the MAG 272F for an unheard-of $79.99.
The MSI MAG 272F is a 27-inch gaming monitor with a 1080p resolution and 200 Hz refresh rate.View Deal
The sub-$80 price tag gets you a 27-inch 1080p IPS panel with a 200 Hz refresh rate. Personally, I’d prefer a 27-inch monitor to have QHD resolution and at least 240 Hz refresh, but you cannot complain at all about 1080p and 240 Hz at $79.99. The monitor also sports a 0.5 ms response time and AMD FreeSync Premium support. As for video ports, you’ll find one HDMI 2.0b and one DisplayPort 1.2a. At this price point, you won’t find onboard speakers, but it does have a 3.5 mm headphone jack. — Brandon Hill
Save 47% on Samsung's excellent 32-inch 240 Hz 4K Odyssey gaming monitor
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SD) is a premium 32-inch gaming monitor built around a 4K QD-OLED panel. Right now, Amazon is selling the monitor for $657.77, which is $47% off its normal list price.
The G80SD’s OLED panel features Quantum Dot enhancement, delivering vibrant colors, deep blacks, and wide color coverage. It offers a 240 Hz refresh rate and features an ultra-fast 0.03 ms gray-to-gray response time, making it ideal for competitive gaming on high-end PC setups. It is also compatible with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-Sync for smooth, tear-free gameplay.
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G8 (G80SD) is a great 32-inch-class monitor sporting a 4K 240 Hz QD-OLED display.View Deal
You’ll also find HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort connectivity, while Samsung's OLED Glare-Free coating helps reduce reflections. To address OLED longevity concerns, Samsung incorporates its OLED Safeguard+ suite, which includes a dynamic cooling system, thermal modulation, and automatic brightness adjustments for static elements such as logos and taskbars to help minimize screen burn-in.
Beyond gaming, the monitor Samsung's Gaming Hub, allowing you to access cloud gaming services and connected consoles, while built-in Smart TV features allow streaming without a PC. — Brandon Hill
Arzopa Z1RC 16.1-inch 1600p portable monitor comes razor-close to $100 for Prime Day
If you're in the market for a portable, second screen to handle your productivity needs while on the go, the Arzopa Z1RC is currently priced at a low $103.98. While you can find plenty of 15.4-inch monitors in the $100 price range the Z1RC stands out for two reasons: it has a slightly larger 16.1-inch screen diagonal, and it features a 2,560 x 1600 resolution instead of the more typical 1,920 x 1080.
This Arzopa K1RC monitor is a great, portable option for your travels. The monitor has a 16-inch 1600p IPS panel and weighs just 1.46 pounds with the included cover. View Deal
Besides those strong fundamentals, the Z1RC also include a built-in kickstand, which I much prefer over other monitors rely on an magnetic kickstand (which can get lost) or an origami smart cover (which can be a bit daunting to use sometimes). In order to expand compatibility, the Z1RC supports both USB-C and HDMI connectivity. It also has built-in speakers, which is a nice add-on.
32" 4K OLED monitors are the superstars of gaming displays right now, but if you'd rather have a denser 27" 4K display instead, Amazon has you covered with an all-time low price of $649.99 on MSI's MAG 272UP X24, making it the cheapest 27" 4K OLED we've seen by a wide margin.
Get into MSI's MAG 272UP 4K OLED display for an all-time low price
Get MSI's sweet MAG 272UP 27" 4K 240Hz OLED gaming monitor and enjoy 4K UHD detail, vivid color, incredible contrast, and crystal-clear motion. View Deal
The MAG 272UP comes packed with all the premium features you'd expect from a cutting-edge QD-OLED gaming monitor, including 99% DCI-P3 gamut coverage and DisplayHDR 400 True Black certification for vivid color and incredible contrast. You'll also enjoy enviably clear motion thanks to OLED's near-instant response times.
A DisplayPort 1.4a connector and two HDMI 2.1 ports are ready for your PC and consoles, and a USB Type-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode support can charge connected devices with 15W PD. Get this sweet display for its cheapest ever price this Prime Day.
Alienware’s updated 240Hz 34 QD-OLED is down to a Prime Day all-time low at $614, cutting 23% off its list price
The latest incarnation of the Alienware 34, sporting a newer QD-OLED panel and fast 240Hz refresh rate, is on sale for its lowest price ever for Prime Day. You can get the monitor for $619.99, which is 23% off its list price of $799.99.
The Alienware AW3424DW is an ultrawide 21:9 display with a QD-OLED panel. It has a resolution of 3440 x 1440 and a refresh rate of 240Hz. View Deal
We reviewed this model, the AW3425DW, last year, and gave it a near-perfect score. At the time, it featured the lowest input lag out of any monitor we’d ever tested, and it boasts exceptional color performance, with a color error of just 1.33 based on our testing.
Alienware’s take on this panel has a few unique goodies, as well. It comes with a three-year warranty that covers burn-in, as well as built-in panel-saving features like pixel shifting. This model uses a newer QD-OLED panel that addresses some of the color fringing issues on earlier QD-OLED panels. — Jake Roach
This $109 LG gaming monitor is a solid value
Monitors that are right around $100 can be a mixed bag, where reliability, not to mention outdated specs, can leave a bad impression. I've luckily spotted a decent option in this 27-inch LG display, on sale at Walmart, which includes a top 1,920 x 1,080 screen resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate for just $109.
This LG UltraGear 27G411A-B display features a 27-inch IPS panel with a 1080p screen resolution. A 144Hz refresh rate makes this a good entry-level gaming machine, with a modern borderless design that'll look attractive on your desk.View Deal
With Walmart slashing the price of this display by 36%, you're getting a heck of a bargain with these specs. 1080p might seem basic, but as I regularly remind anyone who listens, it's still the majority option for gamers, meaning you can game with this display using an older PC, too.
To help you play, this display comes with a refresh rate that maxes out at 144Hz using its overclock mode, with a standard rate of 120Hz. Combined with AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync support, which will sync your refresh rate to your GPU's frame rate, you should experience smooth, fluid visuals with no screen tearing on this display.
Ultimately, though, it's the cost that will drive people to a monitor like this. $109 makes it one of the cheapest models available right now from a brand you'd recognize. If you want a quick, cheap monitor upgrade during this Prime Day, I'd pick this one. -- Ben Stockton
Get a 240Hz gaming upgrade for $100 with this TUF Gaming monitor deal
Step up to high-refresh-rate gaming with Asus' TUF Gaming VG249QM5A. Its 240Hz refresh rate, combined with G-Sync and FreeSync support, mean that it's ready for smooth, responsive, tear-free gaming. View Deal
The VG249QM5A is a 24" 1080p Fast IPS panel with G-Sync Compatible and FreeSync Premium variable-refresh-rate support for tear-free gaming across its wide refresh rate range. 99% sRGB coverage gives you solid color reproduction across games and media, and you can easily adjust its brightness to fit your space with a range up to 300 nits. DisplayPort and HDMI inputs are ready for both PCs and consoles. The stand only tilts, but for $100, we can forgive it. Treat yourself to a major upgrade in gaming smoothness and responsiveness for cheap this Prime Day.
Get a big, versatile OLED with Asus' ROG Strix XG32UCWG dual-mode gaming monitor
We've highlighted plenty of dual-mode LCD monitors this Prime Day, but OLED displays can get in on that versatility, too. Especially if you're a fan of big monitors, Asus' ROG Strix OLED XG32UCWG has a lot to love. This 4K 165Hz/1080p 330Hz display can show off AAA titles in 4K glory and pivot to low-latency esports gaming in a snap, and it's on sale for an all-time low price of $699.99 at Amazon this Prime Day.
Asus' ROG Strix XG32UCWG boasts dual-mode versatility with 4K 165Hz and 1080p 330Hz modes, and its QD-OLED panel promises deep blacks, vivid color, clear motion, and lightning-fast responses. It's huge, too - what's not to love? View Deal
Beyond its bold 32" diagonal, the QD-OLED XG32UCWG offers 99% coverage of the wide DCI-P3 gamut for vivid color in addition to its DisplayHDR 400 True Black-certified deep blacks. If you're concerned about burn-in, this display has an integrated proximity sensor that will black out the panel when you're not sitting in front of it for longer life. And if you don't want things to get fuzzy in its 330Hz mode, the XG32UCWG can simulate a 24.5" diagonal for crisp 1080p gaming. Get this big, versatile, colorful, and contrasty monitor for an all-time low price now. -- Jeff Kampman
Dell's 32 Plus S3225QS is a big, gaming-ready monitor for not a lot of cash
Big, cheap, 4K, and high-refresh-rate are four characteristics you'll rarely find in a single monitor, but Dell's 32 Plus S3225QS somehow manages to check all four of those boxes in a single 32" 4K display. If you want to go big without spending a lot of cash, this 120Hz display is on a Prime Day discount for just $284.99 at Amazon right now.
Get a big, gaming-ready 4K display with Dell's S3225QS. This 120Hz monitor offers an expansive 32" diagonal and 120Hz refresh rates with FreeSync variable refresh rate support for far less than most gaming displays. View Deal
The 32 Plus S3225QS offers 99% sRGB and 95% DCI-P3 gamut coverage for vivid, accurate color, and its VA panel has a 1500:1 contrast ratio for deeper blacks than you'll get from a typical IPS display.
While it's not a gaming monitor first and foremost, its high refresh rate and FreeSync Premium support will certainly let you enjoy smooth, tear-free gaming at will. Handy 10W built-in speakers, two HDMI 2.1 ports for consoles, and a DisplayPort 1.4 hookup for your PC make this a complete package. Go big on the cheap with this display for Prime Day.
Step into 240Hz 1440p gaming for cheap with Acer's VG272U W2 bmiipx 27" monitor
We're drowning in monitor deals this Prime Day, and it can be hard to find displays that do something truly unique among the onslaught. But Acer's Nitro VG272U delivers. Most cheap 27" 2560x1440 monitors we've seen top out at 180Hz, but the VG272U takes you into truly elite esports gaming territory with a 240Hz refresh rate. And it gets there for just $169.99 at Newegg right now.
Acer's Nitro 27 VG272U W2 gets you into crisp and fluid 1440p 240Hz gaming for just a couple bucks more than the 180Hz displays we're seeing this Prime Day. View Deal
The VG272U isn't just fast. It promises 99% sRGB gamut coverage for accurate color, and it's VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified, so it can get plenty bright at 400 nits even for SDR content. And FreeSync Premium variable refresh rate support means your frames will be delivered tear-free. One DisplayPort 1.4 connector and two HDMI 2.1 ports give you versatile connectivity options, too. The only minor corner cut we see is a tilt-only stand, but the rest of the specs are good enough to forgive it. Get into high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming for a great price with this display. -- Jeff Kampman
Get a little OLED in your life for just $207 – Four-star 16-inch ViewSonic ColorPro VP16-OLED portable monitor drops to lowest-ever price
It's not a big-screen gaming monitor, but ViewSonic's ColorPro VP16-OLED is a color-accurate, 15.6-inch portable monitor with an excellent stand / hub that we liked a lot when we tested it back in 2024. And that was back when it was $399, not 48% off that price, as it is at Amazon right now for Prime Day. Apart from the excellent OLED panel, its main trick is a built-in dual-hinge kickstand that houses its ample inputs, as well as a 40-Watt charging hub.
This 1.56-inch, 1080p OLED display features rich and accurate color and deep blacks, as well as a built-in dual-hinge stand that makes it easy to use while including 40W passthrough charging. It also includes a screen protector that doubles as a hood for use outside or under bright lights.View Deal
The dual-hinge stand means you can adjust the tilt as well as height – a nice touch since portable monitors are often too low for ergonomic use long-term. Operating the OSD to adjust the display is easy, thanks to four large buttons on the front of the stand. And the left side houses micro-HDMI, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and two USB-C ports, with the power button on the right.
The only downside I see is that the stand adds extra permanent bulk, making the monitor heavy by portable standards, at 2.2 pounds. But if color and contrast are what you're after, this is a great monitor at an even better price, that beat out even other OLED portables in our testin
Score Asus' unique ROG Strix XG27JCG 5K gaming monitor for an all-time low price
If you're like me, you can never have too many pixels in your main monitor. 4K is my bare minimum. But the practical limits of cost, display connector bandwidth, and panel availability have all stymied further frontiers of pixel density on the desktop until just recently. If you're a pixel freak like me, you'll be delighted with the Asus ROG Strix XG27JCG, which is one of the world's first practical 5K gaming monitors. This display is at an all-time low price of $699 at Amazon right now as part of Prime Day.
Asus' ROG Strix XG27JCG is one of the world's first practical 5K gaming monitors, and if you need its unique 5K resolution and 1440p 360Hz secondary mode, it's at an all-time low price this Prime Day. View Deal
For obvious reasons, you will need an extremely high-end graphics card to drive this monitor at its native 5K res and at anything approaching its peak refresh rate, even with upscaling and framegen. An RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5080, or RTX 5090 is practically a requirement.
But if that proves too much of a heavy lift, you can drop this dual-mode display down to a 1440p 360Hz mode for fluid and responsive gaming at a tolerable QHD resolution with a wider range of cards and save its densest mode for creative and productivity use cases.
In our review, we praised the XG27JCG for its superb resolution, color accuracy, motion processing, and dual-mode versatility. It certainly isn't a display for most people, but if you're one of the choosy few who need its unique capabilites, you can pick it up at a significant discount during this Prime Day event. -- Jeff Kampman
At just $249 today only, Samsung's 37-inch LS37D7004EANXZA is the cheapest big-screen 4K monitor I've ever seen
If you're craving a big monitor and don't need high refresh for gaming, this 37-inch monster from Samsung, half off today at B&H, is by far the best value I have seen in months. The cheapest it's been on Amazon is around $350 late last year, so this seems to be its lowest-ever price. In fact, it's currently selling for above $400 at Best Buy and Amazon, so $249 is a steal.
This is a large 37-inch 4K (3840 x 2160) monitor with a 60 Hz refresh rate, which uses a VA panel. Because of the panel type, don't expect great viewing angles. But when sitting directly in front of it, the contrast should be good. Samsung rates the screen at 350 nits, with a 3,000:1 static contrast.View Deal
Aside from price, the 37-inch size is probably this monitor's major selling point, as it's pretty rare and sits in between typical 32-inch screens are the truly lare 40 or 42-inch screens. If you're rocking a 27-inch or 32-inch monitor and are looking for a size upgrade without spending a lot, this is the best deal for productivity that I have seen.
Just note that this isn't great for more than basic, casual gaming. Aside form the locked 60 Hz refresh, its 5 ms (GtG) rated response time means you'll probably see motion blur and ghosting with fast motion.
Samsung's Thunderbolt-equipped ultra-wide ViewFinity S65TC drops to a lowest-ever price of $349, today only
(Image credit: B&H / Samsung)
If you're after a wide screen for mostly productivity and occasional gaming, B&H is offering Samsung's 34-inch ViewFinity S65TC for $349 with a $450 instant coupon, today only. That's the lowest price we've seen on this 3440 x 1440 curved VA monitor, which will stand out on your desk in white.
This 34-inch, 3440 x 1440 monitor sports 100 Hz variable refresh, built-in Thunderbolt 4, and USB, 350-nits brightness. Note that you only get one HDMI and one DisplayPort. The Thunderbolt port, of course, works as a display connector, but doesn't support variable refresh for smoother gaming.View Deal
With its Thunderbolt 4 support and striking white exterior, this monitor is aimed more at Mac users, but it, of course, also works with PCs, letting you connect to and power a Thunderbolt-enabled laptop with a single cable. Its variable refresh rate tops out at 100 Hz only works over HDMI or DisplayPort, though. And its 5 ms response-time rating means this screen is better suited to casual gaming than anything else.
Californians pay the highest gas prices in the U.S., and a proposed class action says that the issue has been exacerbated by an AI tool that smartly squeezes customers for the best profits. A newly filed lawsuit at the Sacramento, California, federal court says that gas station operators are using Kalibrate’s AI tool, which uses data from nearby competing gas stations, to drive up prices by as much as 30 cents a gallon in some areas, reports Reuters.
On Monday, gas station operators including BP, Circle K, Marathon Petroleum, 7-Eleven, Walmart, and Albertsons were named as defendents in the headlining class action, alongside Kalibrate. By implementing the AI-driven price-optimizing tool, these operators have allegedly violated the Cartwright Act, California’s main antitrust law, as well as Assembly Bill 325. The latter is a California law that was put in place at the start of 2026 to crack down on algorithmic price fixing. An open-and-shut case, then?
Looking at the numbers, it is easy to understand why the Californians have been spurred into legal action. AAA figures suggest that California residents pay an average of $5.58 per gallon for regular, which is already much higher than the $3.93 national average. Where Kalibrate’s AI tools are used to adjust gas pricing, pump prices have risen as much as 30 cents per gallon, say the complaints. The result is some operators charging as much as $7 a gallon, notes the source report.
Gas station operators “have conspired to put an end to competition”
The key compelling argument behind this class action is quoted by Reuters from the case files. “While families struggle to afford the commute to work, defendants have conspired to put an end to competition, joining an AI-powered trust to ensure that no matter where a driver turns, the price for gasoline is artificially high,” says the complaint.
Currently, it is easy to argue that the rise of AI hasn’t fulfilled its early promises. Sifting through our headlines, it has sparked the RAMpocalypse, and other key PC components like SSDs and GPUs have also been impacted by AI server demand. Moreover, we have seen huge environmental impacts from those AI servers straining infrastructure that is sometimes already under pressure, like electricity generation and water resources. They also cause heat and noise pollution, so people don’t want to be anywhere near them. Then there are the applications we have seen AI used for, thus far. Instead of cancer cures and smart government, we’ve got higher gas prices and divisive social media bots. The complainants are seeking unspecified damages.
Oracle reduced its global workforce by 21,000 employees — approximately 13% of its staff — during the 2026 fiscal year ending May 31, 2026. The tech giant officially disclosed details of the cuts in its annual financial regulatory filing on Monday, June 22, explicitly stating that AI adoption and automation directly replaced numerous roles. “The adoption and deployment of AI technologies across our operations have resulted, and may continue to result, in reductions to our workforce," the report said. Conversely, multiple reports indicate that the layoffs are mainly a capital reallocation strategy, as Oracle moves into AI infrastructure.
According to the filing, the company ended the 2026 fiscal year with 141,000 employees, down from 162,000 at the same period last year. Oracle claims the restructuring cost it $1.84 billion in severance payments and other related costs, nearly 400% higher than the restructuring bill in the previous financial year. It also said in its filing that the cuts were due to various factors, including management and product changes, performance issues, and broader re-strategizing.
Oracle signed a massive $300 billion, 5-year deal with OpenAI last year, and another with Meta, to provide AI compute power, as the company continues its aggressive expansion into AI cloud infrastructure. Unlike cloud rivals Amazon and Microsoft, which fund AI builds through massive existing cash flows, Oracle is reportedly burning cash and issuing up to $40 billion in new debt and equity to stay competitive. The workforce reductions appear to be another means of funding.
These cuts are yet another part of a wider worrying trend of tech industry layoffs, attributed to either AI adoption or plans to invest in AI infrastructure. We recently reported Meta’s plans to cut 8,000 jobs to fund AI infrastructure. Tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have also announced job cuts to fund AI ambitions. Counting the Oracle cuts, more than 100,000 US tech workers have lost their jobs this year. Last month alone saw 40,000 AI-related job cuts, even as surveys indicate that executives are unsure of the benefits of AI replacement. There is also speculation that companies are using AI as an excuse to conduct layoffs for other reasons, a move that OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, terms “AI washing”. Our in-depth analysis breaks down the available stats and facts on this trend.
Amazon Prime Day 2026 is here, and we're already seeing some tantalizing deals on Wi-Fi routers. If you're in the market for a new Wi-Fi 7 router, we've scoped out deals on standalone and mesh systems that could give your home (or office) network a much-needed performance boost.
If you have a smaller home that doesn't need the aid of wireless satellites to improve coverage, consider the TP-Link Archer BE230 Wi-Fi 7 router. It zeroes in on one of the company's hallmarks: value. The Archer BE230 has a retail price of $119.99, but is currently on sale for just $79.99. You can also look at our Best Amazon Prime Day Wi-Fi router deals 2026 for more deals on Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 6, and mesh routers.
That price gets you 2.5 GbE WAN, one 2.5 GbE LAN, three GbE LAN ports, and a USB 3.0 port for adding storage to your network. One thing to keep in mind is that if you plan to expand your network in the future, the Archer BE230 supports TP-Link's EasyMesh standard, which lets you combine multiple compatible routers into a mesh network.
Regarding performance, the Archer BE230 operates at speeds of up to 688 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and up to 2,882Mbps on the 5 GHz band.
The TP-Link Archer BE230 combines excellent performance and value in a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router. You get two 2.5 GbE ports, three GbE ports, a USB 3.0 port for external storage, and EasyMesh compliance for $80.View Deal
If you need the added coverage of a mesh system, the TP-Link Deco BE63 is a good mid-range solution. The Deco BE63 is available in a two-node system covering up to 5,800 square feet.
Each satellite has four 2.5 GbE ports (one of which can be used for WAN), which are excellent for connecting your wired-only network devices. However, there's another added benefit: the Deco BE63 supports wired backhaul, which can improve overall network performance compared to using the default wireless backhaul between satellites.
(Image credit: TP-Link)
When it comes to overall performance, the mesh system offers up to 574 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band, 4,324 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, and 5,188 Mbps on the 6 GHz band.
The Deco BE63 is typically $349.99, but is currently $249.99 at Amazon.
The Deco BE63 is a mid-range, tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router with four 2.5 GbE ports, 10 Gbps of combined throughput, and coverage of 5,800 square feet.View Deal
Finally, the TP-Link Prime Day trifecta wouldn't be complete without the Deco BE23. This is the company's entry-level Wi-Fi 7 mesh router. Given its positioning in the lineup, this isn't a full-featured tri-band offering; instead, it's a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 solution. Although you miss out on the higher-performance 6 GHz band, you do gain support for Multi-Link Operation (MLO), a staple of Wi-Fi 7.
(Image credit: TP-Link)
Each node features two 2.5 GbE ports, and you also get wired backhaul support. Maximum throughput reaches 688 Mbps for the 2.4 GHz band, while the 5 GHz band achieves 2,882 Mbps.
The Deco BE23 retails for $219.99 but is currently priced at $169.99 for a limited time.
The TP-Link Deco BE23 is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router that features three nodes and covers up to 6,500 square feet. Each node features 2.5 GbE ports and supports wired backhaul.View Deal
Archer BE230
Deco BE63
Deco BE23
Wi-Fi Standard
Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7
Wireless Bands
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz7
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz
2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
Maximum Throughput (Combined)
3,600 Mbps
10,000 Mbps
3,600 Mbps
LAN Ports
1x 2.5 GbE WAN, 1x 2.5 GbE LAn, 4x GbE LAN
4 x 2.5 GbE LAN/WAN per node
2x 2.5 GbE WAN/LAN per node
USB Ports
1x USB 3.0
1x USB 3.0 per node
None
Coverage
2,000 square feet
5,800 square feet
6,500 square feet
There's another possible deal perk with these router deals if you have an Amazon Prime Rewards VISA credit card. Amazon is offering up to 15% cash back on the purchase of each router when you use the card.
While the coming availability of the Steam Machine is stealing headlines about Valve, the company quietly announced that it’s also working on SteamOS to give it wider compatibility. Pierre-Loup Griffais, one of the engineers Tom’s Hardware talked with to dig into the details of the upcoming console, told The Verge that the company is collaborating with Nvidia “very closely” to develop support for Team Green GPUs. Additionally, he mentioned the possibility of dual-booting SteamOS with Windows or other operating systems in the future. The measures would allow users to build their own DIY Steam Machines in future.
SteamOS 3.0 was built from the ground up for the Steam Deck, which uses AMD hardware. For years now, enterprising users could install the operating system on other systems that feature Team Red hardware. However, if you use parts from other brands like Intel and Nvidia, you’re going to run into a lot of complications. One enthusiast made SteamOS work with an Intel Arc B580 desktop GPU, but it required a lot of advanced steps and troubleshooting that would certainly turn off more casual users.
Valve released the latest version of the gaming operating system, SteamOS 3.8.10, just last week, and it comes with compatibility updates for Intel and AMD platforms, including upcoming Intel-powered handhelds. While support for Nvidia graphics cards isn’t expected to arrive this year, Graiffais told The Verge that “it’s certainly something that we’re working on in the background.” He also mentioned a SteamOS installer that would make it easier for users to wipe an existing operating system and replace it with SteamOS. While it cannot partition a drive for dual-booting yet, Pierre-Loup hinted that the feature might eventually arrive in the future.
Windows is still the most dominant OS for gaming, and we can see this in the latest Steam survey results, with Windows 11 getting nearly 70% of the market share. However, Linux, especially through SteamOS, is quickly gaining ground. Although it still has a negligible 3.99% share (compared to Windows’ overall 93.85%), it has already overtaken macOS’s 2.16%. This result is likely driven by the popularity of the Steam Deck, despite its recent price hikes, and we expect this to jump even higher once gamers get their hands on the Valve Steam Machine in the coming weeks.
Pricing for computer hardware, specifically memory, storage, and graphics cards, has spiraled out of control due to the ongoing shortages. The cost has risen to the point where it often makes more sense to pick up a prebuilt system than to build your own. The Dell Slim Desktop is a great compact system, but if you’re really limited on workspace, the Dell 24 All-In-One Desktop comes to mind. Gamers, on the other hand, may find something like the Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop a better fit.
The Dell Slim Desktop is the system you want if you need a small-footprint option. Despite the compact size, the system doesn't compromise on performance or versatility. It comes with a Ryzen 5 150, a power-efficient 54W chip with six cores and 12 threads. The processor features integrated Radeon 660M graphics for light gaming, video streaming, and other entertainment purposes.
Unlike other systems that don’t allow upgrades, the Dell Slim Desktop comes with standard DDR5 memory slots and an M.2 slot for storage. Future expansions aren't off the table. The configuration on sale includes 8GB of DDR5-4800 memory and a 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD, enough for fast boot times and less demanding workloads.
The Dell Slim Desktop can handle a variety of everyday tasks without hiccups and even some light gaming. Its sleek and modern design allows it to blend with any home or office setup.View Deal
The Dell 24 All-In-One Desktop features a 23.8-inch display with a crisp FHD (1920 x 1080) resolution, anti-glare treatment, and dual speakers with Dolby Atmos support. For convenience, the system comes with a Dell Pro keyboard and mouse, so you don’t need to shop for peripherals, which could end up saving you a few bucks.
A Core 3 100U processor, with six cores and eight threads, powers the Dell 24 All-In-One Desktop. Complementing the processor is 8GB of DDR5-5200 memory and a 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD. The combination of hardware is more than sufficient to power through daily tasks, such as web browsing, checking e-mail, or hanging around on social platforms.
The Dell 24 All-In-One Desktop is a system to consider for home or the office. It has a great design and rich feature set for the average consumer.View Deal
The Alienware Aurora is one of Dell's most popular prebuilt gaming systems. This iteration leverages a 20-core Intel Core Ultra 7 265F paired with a GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card for a great gaming experience. The system also has 32GB (2x16GB) of DDR5-5200 memory and 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD, which are appreciated given the current market situation for memory and storage products.
The gaming system's other specifications also include a 1,000W 80 Plus Platinum power supply and ultra-fast Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. Dell includes a no-frills wired keyboard-and-mouse combo with the Alienware Aurora.
The Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop brings excellent all-around gaming performance. It sports a Core Ultra 7 265F processor, a GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card, 32GB of DDR5-5200 memory, and 1 TB M.2 NVMe SSD.View Deal
The Dell Slim Desktop, Dell 24 All-In-One Desktop, and Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop are just some of the juicy deals available in Dell's big sale. There are other very attractive offers on gaming laptops, notebooks, and monitors. Who knows? Your next upgrade may just be a click away, and what better way to do so than to save a couple of hundred dollars?
SK hynix overtook Samsung Electronics on Monday to become South Korea's most valuable listed company, the first time Samsung has surrendered the top spot on the KOSPI index since November 2000, according to Reuters. SK hynix shares closed up 5.6% to lift its market capitalization to 2,080.4 trillion won ($1.35 trillion), edging past Samsung's 2,066.7 trillion won excluding preferred shares, after a rally of more than 340% this year built almost entirely on demand for the high-bandwidth memory it supplies to Nvidia and other AI chip buyers. The company held 61% of the global HBM market in 2025, against 17% for Samsung and 21% for Micron.
SK hynix is one of the few pure-play memory makers, while Samsung spans smartphones, displays, contract chipmaking, and home appliances, among many other markets. Investors value the focus on pure-play memory higher because HBM carries the industry's fattest margins and ties suppliers to specific AI accelerators, unlike commodity DRAM that buyers can swap between vendors.
SK hynix built its lead by continuing to invest in HBM through the 2023 downturn, when a memory price collapse pushed it to a 7.73 trillion won annual operating loss. Samsung, by contrast, reportedly hit yield and qualification delays on its HBM3E chips that slowed major Nvidia orders, the proximate reason for a 61% share against a 17% one.
Samsung's remaining stronghold is conventional DRAM, but even that margin is shrinking. Bank of America estimates put SK hynix's monthly DRAM output at roughly 589,000 wafers this year against Samsung's 691,000. SK hynix is projected to expand output by about 38% between 2025 and 2028, compared with 17.5% at Samsung, which would cut the production gap to under 10% by 2028 from around 23% in 2025. The capacity both companies are pouring into HBM is not going into the commodity chips behind the memory shortage they've warned could run past 2027, and SK hynix has pledged to double its memory wafer output within five years.
Samsung, meanwhile, disputes the ranking, telling Reuters that its market cap should include preferred shares, which would lift its value to 2,246.4 trillion won. The gap also reflects the HBM3 and HBM3E generations rather than what comes next. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang confirmed earlier this month that Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron all passed HBM4 certification for the Vera Rubin platform, and Samsung shipped the industry's first 12-layer HBM4E samples on May 29th.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who pushed through the original Hynix acquisition despite internal opposition, explained the strategy in a book published in January. "What I really wanted to accomplish when we acquired Hynix was to transform it from a commodity memory producer into a mainstream semiconductor company whose products are indispensable," Chey said.
We use the internet every day for shopping, work, and play. Our personal data is at risk of being stolen or misused on a level never seen before. Having a reputable VPN service can add peace of mind and protection whenever you're exposing your personal information to the internet. Be safer when connecting over a vulnerable open WiFi connection in a mall, hotel, or coffeehouse. Whatever the scenario, you should prioritize your personal data safety and use a VPN to protect against personal data and identity theft. While you won't find any VPN deals at Amazon, Prime Day week is still a great time to secure a discount at other vendors, who often run competing sales.
Grab a 64% saving on a 12-month Norton VPN subscription. Get protection on up to 5 devices, covering you from ads, scams, and corporate tracking. View Deal
Next up is one of the biggest VPN providers around. ExpressVPN has you covered for browsing and the web on up to 12 simultaneous devices, with a massive 82% discount on this 24-month plan, where the price has been slashed to only $83.72, saving you $392, plus four months of extra VPN coverage added for free. Also, as ExpressVPN is an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026, you're gifted five raffle entries to win tickets to World Cup matches if you sign up quickly.
This big discount on a 24-month ExpressVPN Advanced subscription drops the price by 82%, with an extra four months of subscription thrown in for free. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee for new customers.View Deal
As one of the most well-known VPN services on our list, NordVPN is an easy recommendation for those seeking out an effective and affordable, privacy-focused virtual private network. Currently, you can pick up 24 months, plus 3 extra months of NordVPN Complete for just $121.23, a massive 75% reduction in price from the original $493.83 cost.
Grab a huge saving on a 24-month + 3 extra months, Complete - NordVPN subscription that drops the overall price by a massive 75%. 27-months of full VPN coverage for your personal online safety.View Deal
Lastly, we have Surfshark. The Surfshark One subscription choice is a full suite of tools that you can use to stay protected while you're online. The VPN supports unlimited connections and offers over 4,500 servers to connect to, hosted in 100 different countries; all for only $75.33 for a 27-month subscription.
A two-year Surfshark One subscription, with an extra three months added on top, can be yours with this huge discount. You can try it, risk-free, for 30 days.View Deal
These popular VPNs can be used on multiple devices simultaneously, including your phones, laptops, and tablets. All you need to do is install the apps on your Android or iOS device and sign in. Once you're connected, you can feel secure online when you connect to unfamiliar networks. Fast VPN connections, no-logs privacy promises, kill switches, ad and tracking blocking, plus anti-virus protection are covered by all of these top-tier VPN services.
All offer dedicated server locations across the globe, with varying numbers of physical servers located in multiple countries. This means that you get the best connection speeds possible, with the minimum amount of latency.
We primarily chose the longer two-year subscriptions as this offers the highest discount and the better monthly-average savings overall. Different VPN competitors offer free extra months to the subscription as perks, but some companies also only offer a maximum subscription length of one-year. Take a look at what each package offers you, and choose based on how well the service would fit your personal needs.
LG Display (LGD) is the arm of LG that manufactures monitor and TV panels for its parent firm, as well as a great deal of other players including Apple, Dell, Sony, and Asus among many others. The company has just announced that its large-format OLED panels earned an Intertek certification for "perfect" color and brightness accuracy under ambient lighting up to 500 lux.
Large-format panels are those going into TVs, generally meaning size 48" or larger. We're taking LG Display at its word, as the press release states the certification means the TVs "accurately reproduce both color and brightness regardless of viewing conditions or content." 500 lux of ambient is actually a pretty demanding viewing environment for a TV, as it's roughly the equivalent to a well-lit office, conference room, or kitchen work surface.
LGD says the certification validates the OLED panels in question for "100% color accuracy" and "100% brightness accuracy," remarking that Intertek used multiple test patterns, and that the panels maintained both accurate color and consistent brightness with all of them. The text also notes the panels are "color cross-talk free," an impressive feat if true. Broadly speaking, OLED panels generally don't bleed light into dark areas, but color contamination in adjacent areas is a real problem thanks to subpixel cross-talk. That's actually a very tricky problem to solve (especially for tandem panels), and it's an impressive feat if LGD truly managed to kill it altogether.
Intertek is a a pretty large UK-based technology and certification company (accredited with ISO/IEC 17025), but there aren't details on the test processes it used. It's worth noting there's no standardized certification process for TV panels to begin with, unlike the monitor-specific DisplayHDR and its strict, OLED-specific True Black variant. LGD has worked with Intertek for many years, and the test results tend to include at least some actual figures.
It's Amazon Prime Day, so it's the perfect time for an impulse purchase. We've compiled a list of 13 cool, budget-friendly gadgets, tools, and gizmos that you can get for just $13.
There's a whole heap of fill-your-drawer stuff here to sink your teeth into. There are kits to fix PCs and clean up grubby keyboards, network switches, and WiFi adapters to get yourself online, and plenty of cables and stands to keep things tidy. We've grouped them together, too, to help you get to the sections you're most interested in.
Cables are often the forgotten part of our tech arsenal, but they're essential and, if you're careful about it, cheap to buy. We need 'em to charge all of your gadgets and hook them up to your screens and speakers. Adapters, too, help us connect one type to another. If you're in need, these are the cables you want.
A full 1-meter (3.3FT) USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable that supports up to 100W is always useful, but this retractable cable from UGreen keeps things neat and tidy. Throw it in your bag and don't worry about untangling a mess of wires while commuting: it's just ready when you need it.View Deal
A two-pack of USB Type-C to Type-C cables. Exciting! These are perfect for a car, especially as they're coiled, which reduces their size to 1.3ft, while still giving you a max length of 3.3ft. These support fast PD 3.0 charging, so you can get your smartphones and tablets charged in fast order. They're braided, too, for extra durability.View Deal
This nine-pack of HDMI adapters will live in your junk drawer until called upon to save the day. These are one of those "I may need these one day" purchases that get you out of a tight spot. These adapters come in various configurations.View Deal
Tools
These are some must-have, inexpensive tools on sale during Amazon Prime Day to keep close at hand. Clean, build, repair, and all for less than $13.
This keyboard cleaning kit features a whole host of tiny tools to help you clear away dirt, grime, and anything else you can think of. All of the tools are housed in a neat multi-tool arrangement, and you get tools to remove dirt and detritus from every aspect of your digital devices. Key cap puller, brushes, lens cleaning, a spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol, metal pins to remove earwax from headphones, and a sponge to keep grease marks off your screen. View Deal
With sixteen 14mm driver bits, a knurled handle and a great ABS plastic case, this is a tiny, yet powerful addition to your EDC or go-bag.View Deal
PC Accessories
Building or repairing a PC doesn't have to come with a huge price tag. There's a whole host of must-buys here, from top-rated thermal paste to SD card readers and Gigabit Ethernet switches to get yourself online faster.
Coming third in our best thermal paste guide, this is an excellent thermal paste from Thermalright.
In our review, we noted that it has excellent thermal performance, delivering great stability as a result. This paste is easy to use and clean up when reapplication is required.View Deal
No gimmicks, no fuss, this GPU support brace will stop your (most likely very expensive) GPU from sagging and breaking in your (again, very expensive) gaming rig. If you're spending hundreds or thousands, don't cheap out on the support to keep it safe!View Deal
Need a cheap, effective way to keep a bunch of NVMe SSDs cool? This Arctic deal won't hurt your wallet and will keep your drives icy while running.View Deal
This SD card reader is from budget-friendly Ugreen and has been previously recommended by Tom's Hardware staffers in the past. With it, you can read microSD, SD, Compact Flash, and Sony Memory Stick cards. Whenever there is a panicked "I've lost the adapter for my camera's memory card" during the holidays, you'll have what you need to save the day with this reader in your pocket.View Deal
A five-port Ethernet switch for less than $10 is a typo, right? Nope. It's not fancy, it's unmanaged, no PoE, and it "only" has Gigabit ports, but when you need a few extra Ethernet ports, this sub $10 switch is a great deal to keep working.View Deal
The TP-Link Litewave 5-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch LS1005G provides four additional Ethernet ports, delivering reliable, high-speed wired internet for your gaming PC, NAS, console, TV, and other connected devices. Another popular Tom's Hardware recommendation and one that several of us own ourselves.View Deal
You've got an old PC, and it doesn't have Wi-Fi. You don't want to spend a ton of money to give it Wi-Fi. This under-$13 Wi-Fi 6 USB dongle will give you the Wi-Fi connection you need at decently fast speeds.
It works without a driver for Windows 10 and 11, and it will most likely work with Linux, but you'll need to take an extra step.View Deal
Desk Accessories
Don't cover your desk with trash. Instead, fill it with these essential accessories, on sale for Prime Day to help you stay organized.
This slick external power button features a 2-meter (78.74 inch) cable and a splitter that lets you connect both to your case's front panel buttons. It also includes adhesive pads and zip-ties.View Deal
Keep your desk tidy with this simple wall mounted hanger for your headphones, along with support for up to two Xbox, PlayStation, Switch or PC gamepads, too.View Deal
Too many USB cables to deal with on your desk? This UGREEN USB 3.0 splitter hooks up to a USB-A port and provides you with four additional ports to connect other devices, from keyboards and mice to webcams and flash drives.View Deal
If you're trying to build the best gaming PC that money can buy, right now, a pre-built is foten a better option. That's true of this Corsair Vengeance i7500. This RTX 5090 monster is currently 25% off at Amazon, and costs $4,799. That's cheaper than buying the GPU ($4,199) and 64GB of RAM ($913) all by itself.
At the heart of this PC is the Intel Core i9-14900KF. Despite its age, this is still one of the fastest CPUs around, and in our testing, it's the best Intel CPU you can buy right now for gaming. While it can't quite match the heady heights of AMD's coveted X3D range, it's the perfect partner for the RTX 5090 GPU, which is the real star of the show here, and the fastest gaming GPU on the market by a country mile. Couple that with 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD, and you've got yourself what constitutes a bargain in 2026.
Get a 5090 gaming PC with 64GB of RAM, 2TB SSD, liquid cooler, RGB fans, and Intel i9-14900KF. View Deal
The Core i9-14900K (the KF version doesn't have integrated graphics) is Intel's Raptor Lake Refresh flagship. It features 24 cores and 32 threads, comprising eight performance cores and 16 efficiency cores. Base clock speeds are 3.2 GHz, with boosted speeds of up to 6GHz.
As mentioned, the real star of the show here is the 5090 GPU, which is simply the best gaming GPU money can buy. It blows the competition out of the water thanks to its 32GB of GDDR7 VRAM, 21,760 CUDA cores, and hefty power draw.
These premium parts are complemented by 64GB of DDR5-6000 Corsair Vengeance RAM (worth $913 in the current economy) and a 2TB SSD. The PC is housed in Corsair's 3500X case, featuring wraparound tempered glass and fans aplenty to keep everything cool. A Corsair Nautilus RS ARGB liquid cooler cools the CPU, and all of the fans come with RGB for a sleek gaming aesthetic.
As noted, the GPU and RAM in this build are currently priced at over $5,000, so this is a pretty incredible deal if you want to get a gaming PC that should last you for several years to come.
With sequential read speeds of up to 800 MB/s and write speeds of 200 MB/s, the P9 is much faster than your average microSD card. This unique format for Switch 2 means you can store more games on the go, without needing to install and uninstall titles whenever you want to play them.
Flash storage is suffering from the AI shortage, but this $39.99 deal is just $7.50 shy of the best-ever price we've seen on this drive, which was $31.50 in March.
This Samsung P9 Express microSD express card offers up to 800 MB/s data transfer speeds and is fully compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2. It also offers features such as Host Memory Buffer (HMB), Dynamic Thermal Guard (DTG), and 6-proof durability. View Deal
As you can see from our testing data, the Samsung P9 Express isn't the fastest microSD Express card on the market, but that's because this is a budget card that won't break the bank. It's a good bit cheaper than many other options, especially thanks to this discount.
FutureFutureFutureFutureFutureFuture
The P9 is our best budget microSD Express card pick in the 256GB category, offering reliable performance and strong durability. It also comes with a pretty generous three-year warranty, where most rivals only offer one year. Samsung offers protection against water immersion, temperature changes, and even X-ray exposure (we're looking at you, airport scanners).
The card also features a Host Memory Buffer to boost data transfer speeds, as well as Dynamic Thermal Guard to prevent overheating and throttling.
This is the best price we've seen on this drive in a while, and it isn't likely to improve as Prime Day continues, so grab yourself a bargain and boost your Switch 2 storage before it disappears.
SSD prices are terrible right now, pretty much across the board, but the Samsung 9100 Pro SSD has just fallen to its lowest price since February during Amazon Prime Day. This day-one deal gets you a 1TB model for $206, or the 2TB model for $349.
The Samsung 9100 Pro SSD is a Gen 5 SSD with sequential read speeds of up to 14,700MB/s. That makes it one of the fastest M.2 drives on the market, perfect for professional workloads, gaming, or if you just crave a cutting-edge boot drive. Armed with Samsung's proprietary Presto controller, this drive scores very well in all of our performance benchmarks, as shown in our testing below.
The elephant in the room is SSD prices. A year ago, this drive would have cost just $126 for the 1TB model. Unfortunately, AI shortages are driving up prices, and the retail SSD market is effectively disappearing. Prices are only moving one way, so this is as good as it gets right now if you need a fast drive.
Get the 1TB version of the 9100 Pro for $206, around 20 cents per GB. It comes with 236-Layer Samsung TLC (V8) flash memory and is rated for sequential read and write speeds of 14,700 MB/s and 13,300 MB/s, respectively. View Deal
This drive is identical in spec, but its heftier discount means it is 17 cents per GB, so better value if you can stretch to the higher capacity. View Deal
As you can see from our testing data below, this is a very snappy drive. It can't quite match the T705 from Crucial or Micron's 4600, but it is right up there and definitely faster than nearly every other drive on the market.
Tom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's Hardware
In our PCMark 10 Storage tests, the 9100 scores better than any of the other drives we tested in that review, edging out both the aforementioned rivals. The 9100 Pro remains indisputably one of the fastest consumer SSDs on the market. These discounts also now make the 9100 Pro a bit cheaper than the 990 Pro, a Gen 4 drive that isn't as fast. So if you're choosing between the two, this deal makes it a bit of a no-brainer.
The one catch is that the price for that all-round excellence has been quite high of late. We found that you can expect to pay $1099 or so at the midpoint of RTX 5070 Ti prices during our recent research for our guide to the best graphics cards in 2026, as well as our work for the 2026 GPU Benchmarks Hierarchy.
But as Amazon Prime Day rolls around, both Best Buy and Newegg are making Asus' Prime RTX 5070 Ti available for just $900 — the cheapest we've seen one of these cards go for in a long time.
Asus' Prime GeForce RTX 5070 Ti puts a quiet, classy triple-fan cooler and a full-length metal backplate on our pick for the best enthusiast graphics card, all for the lowest price we've seen for a 5070 Ti of late. View Deal
Get the same great deal at Newegg if Best Buy sells out or if you'd prefer to shop at a different retailer. View Deal
We use the OC Edition of this Asus card for our own testing in the Tom's Hardware labs, and its clean design, quiet triple-fan cooler, and full-length metal backplate all make for a fine example of the 5070 Ti. The base Prime 5070 Ti on sale here sacrifices only 45 MHz of stock clocks to the OC Edition—a difference you'll never notice in games.
But you'll definitely feel the extra $50 to $100 in your pocket compared to the next-cheapest 5070 Tis out there, and this Asus Prime card offers an all-around nicer build than most board partners' most attainable product lines.
FutureFutureFuture
Beyond its strong baseline performance and 16GB of GDDR7 memory, the RTX 5070 Ti's support for superior DLSS 4.5 upscaling and Multi Frame Generation makes it easy to achieve fluid, responsive gaming across a broad range of resolutions, target frame rates, and quality settings. Especially for cutting-edge path-traced games, you'll want DLSS 4.5 and MFG at your disposal for the best experience.
If you've been waiting for an RTX 5070 Ti upgrade to elevate your gaming PC and missed out on lower prices late last year, this Asus card is the best opportunity that we've seen so far during the Prime Day stretch. Don't wait.
It looks like motherboard vendors are hurting badly. As Prime Day gets underway, we're seeing some price discounts on motherboards that are frankly hard to believe. Take the flagship ASRock Z890 Taichi as an example, which is normally $460, but you can get it for a massive 56% off, bringing the price down to $200. When you see a discount that big (its previous low was $300), you know something is afoot.
That something is the price of RAM and SSDs. With prices high on those components, enthusiasts aren't building new PCs, and by extension, not buying motherboards. Motherboard sales have apparently dropped by as much as 37%, and vendors are massively cutting prices to get those numbers up.
Although the existential dread of PC component pricing right now is omnipresent, let the lose of motherboard vendors be your gain. It's extremely unlikely that we'll see motherboards this cheap again once RAM prices stabilize, so now is the best time to buy if you want to upgrade.
We're picking out some of the most impressive discounts here, but make sure to keep our list of the best motherboard deals handy during Prime Day if you want to check out all of the discounts.
Save $260 on the ASRock Z890 Taichi at a new all-time low price
We're very familiar with the ASRock Z890 Taichi, as it's the motherboard we use for testing LGA 1851 CPUs. Carrying ASRock's Taichi brand, it's a flagship design with all the bells and whistles, and at a list price of $460, those bells and whistles make sense. Right now, however, you can get it for just $200.
Get an incredible deal on ASRock's flagship-class Z890 Taichi motherboard. You get the best of everything here, including robust power delivery, fast memory support, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, and one of the best integrated audio solutions. If you're in the market for an Intel system, the Z890 Taichi is a great motherboard at an even better price.View Deal
The board is high-end across the board. It supports memory speeds up to 9600 MT/s, and it comes with a 20+1+2+1+1 VRM design, giving you plenty of power stages to push your CPU overclocks hard.
Internally, you're spoiled for connectivity options. There are a total of six M.2 slots, one of which supports PCIe Gen5 x4 (the others support PCIe Gen4 x4). The top PCIe slot also supports PCIe Gen5 x16, and the board comes with an internal USB-C header.
Around the rear, you'll find dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, another four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and dual LAN with connections for 2.5Gb and 5Gb. You simply won't find this level of support on a motherboard for $200, or even $300, for that matter.
Get 40% off the Asus ROG Strix B650E-I makes SFF affordable
You'll pay a hefty premium on any premium mini ITX motherboard; take it from a recovering SFF addict. This current deal on the Asus ROG Strix B650E-I, which I personally used for the last few years with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, makes mini-ITX seem far more reasonable. The board is 40% off, bringing its $300 list price down to $180.
This ITX form-factor motherboard can run the latest AMD Ryzen 9000 processors via a BIOS update, and other AM5 CPUs. It also has Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, PCIe 5.0 x16, up to 6400 MT/s RAM support, and two NVMe slots, one of which is PCIe 5.0-capable. At under $200, this is a steal for a Mini-ITX motherboard on the AM5 platform.View Deal
That matches the board's previous all-time low, which it hasn't been to in nearly a year. Despite such limited room, this board has a solid amount of connectivity. It features two M.2 slots, one at PCIe Gen5 and the other at Gen4, along with two SATA connections. There's a single PCIe 5.0 x16 slot that supports PCIe bifurcation through the BIOS, as well. There's even internal headers for USB 3.2 Gen 1 and Gen 2, so you get full front panel connectivity.
Around the back, you get a total of eight USB ports: two USB 2.0, four USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C. The board also comes with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, so you don't need to muck around with add-in cards. Although the 600-series chipsets debuted with Ryzen 7000 CPUs, this board also supports newer Ryzen 9000 CPUs via a BIOS update.
Flashback to LGA 1700 with the MSI Z790 Gaming Plus Wi-Fi at an all-time low price
MSI's Gaming Plus range doesn't go overboard like a Taichi, but they're reliable boards that we've cycled in and out of the Tom's Hardware test bench several times over the years. The MSI Z790 Gaming Plus Wi-Fi here doesn't have a shocking sticker discount (it's 27% off), but it's down to its lowest price ever, giving you Intel's flagship chipset from the previous generation for just $130.
All-time low price.
Get a great deal on the MSI Z790 Gaming Plus Wifi motherboard. For just $129.99 you get a quality motherboard with four M.2 sockets (one PCIe 5.0) and 4 SATA ports, 2.5GbE and Wi-Fi 6E, power delivery capable of handling the last-gen flagship processors (Raptor Lake), and looks good with any dark build theme. View Deal
This is a midrange motherboard that you can buy for an entry-level price. It sports a total of four M.2 slots, one of which supports PCIe Gen5, along with four PCIe expansion slots (the top x16 slot supports Gen5, as well). Networking is excellent, as well, with the board coming with 2.5Gb LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3.
Through the back panel, you get audio hookups for the Realtek ALC897 7.1 audio chip, along with three USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, and a single USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C connection. The board features internal headers for USB 3.0 and 3.2 Gen 2, as well.
Servers running x86 processors from AMD and Intel used to rule the market, both unit and money-wise, less than a decade ago, but fast forward to today, Arm-based machines command well over 45% of the server market, according to data released by IDC. While technically x86 machines still control 52% of the market in terms of revenue, the real winner is a different category altogether: GPU- and ASIC/FPGA-accelerated systems, which generated over 70% of the global server revenue in the first quarter of 2026.
Server market reaches $122.6 billion in a single quarter, Dell leads the game
IDC estimates that the global server market generated a record $122.6 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2026, up 30.4% year-over-year, as spending on AI infrastructure remained particularly strong.
Sales of ODM Direct servers — custom machines ordered by hyperscalers that run merchant or custom silicon — accounted for 50.2% of the revenue (down from 64.1% in Q1 2025) and reached $61.53 billion, up modest 2.1% year-over-year*. By contrast, sales of standard servers from well-known brands grew at a much higher pace, which suggests that branded vendors such as Dell, HPE, Supermicro, and others won a larger portion of AI infrastructure deployments than they did a year earlier. That was probably made possible by accelerating enterprise AI deployment and sovereign AI projects, which tend to buy machines from branded vendors, as well as hyperscalers increasingly turning to well-known suppliers for AI hardware.
Company
Q1 2026 Revenue
Q1 2026 Share
Q1 2025 Revenue
Q1 2025 Share
YoY Growth
Dell Technologies
$20,280.8M
16.5%
$5,893.3M
6.3%
+244.1%
Super Micro
$9,331.0M
7.6%
$4,075.8M
4.3%
+128.9%
Lenovo
$5,621.8M
4.6%
$4,118.4M
4.4%
+36.5%
IEIT Systems
$4,012.0M
3.3%
$4,313.7M
4.6%
-7.0%
HPE
$3,719.5M
3.0%
$3,173.9M
3.4%
+17.2%
ODM Direct
$61,537.9M
50.2%
$60,278.9M
64.1%
+2.1%
Rest of Market
$18,114.7M
14.8%
$12,212.4M
13.0%
+48.3%
Total
$122,617.8M
100.0%
$94,066.4M
100.0%
+30.4%
When it comes to vendor rankings, Dell remained the largest server supplier by revenue with a 16.5% share of the market after its revenue surged 244.1% year-over-year to $20.3 billion, which was driven by exceptionally strong AI server demand. Supermicro remained in second place with $9.3 billion in revenue and a growth of 128.9%.
Lenovo ranked third with $5.6 billion and 36.5% growth, while IEIT Systems (which is a part of the sanctioned Inspur Group) dropped to fourth after revenue declined 7.0% to $4.0 billion. HPE was No.5 with $3.7 billion in revenue, up 17.2%. Other vendors — from Asus to Atos and from ASRock Rack to Gigabyte — commanded 14.8% of the market with $18.11 billion in revenue, up from 13% and $12.21 billion in the same quarter a year ago.
Arm-based machines rapidly gain revenue share
As AI servers dominated the market in Q1 2026, systems with various types of accelerators accounted for over 70% of the revenue. However, the rise of Arm-powered machines is the elephant in the room that is hard to miss, as it represents a tectonic shift in the whole market, both to the Arm instruction set architecture (ISA) in general and custom-built Arm CPUs designed by hyperscalers.
(Image credit: Nvidia)
Non-x86 platforms generated $58.7 billion in revenue, a 107.6% increase year-over-year, which lifted their share of the market to 47.9%. Most of the non-x86 systems are Arm-based AI machines (think Nvidia's NVL72) as well as systems running custom CPUs, AWS, Google, and Microsoft, just to name a few. Still, also keep in mind IBM Z mainframes and IBM Power Systems (including storage) that use CPUs featuring proprietary non-x86 and non-Arm ISAs and which still generate $1 billion or more in revenue. IDC claims that Arm-based machines accounted for more than 95% of non-x86 revenue, so it is safe to say that Arm-based machines commanded over 45% of server revenues in Q1 2026.
One of the reasons why Arm-based machines now command a huge chunk of the server market is because they are used inside such systems as Nvidia's NVL72 'Blackwell' that sell for up to $6.5 million per unit. Each NVL72 rack-scale solution carries 36 compute trays with two Blackwell GPUs and one Grace CPU per unit, so while unit-wise each we are only talking about 36 processors, dollar-wise one NVL72 machine is as expensive as 928 entry-level 1P server (for $7,000) for cloud or edge applications or 433 higher-end 2P servers (for $15,000) for cloud or virtualization applications.
Given the fact that Nvidia will continue bundling its own Arm-based Vera CPUs with NVL72 'Vera Rubin' machines that will be more expensive than their Blackwell ancestors, we will not be surprised that Arm-based machines will account for well over 50% of the server market revenue in the second half of this year or in 2027. Also, keep in mind that Nvidia plans to sell server racks featuring only Vera CPUs for agentic AI applications, which will further drive sales of Arm-based machines.
Accelerated servers: The real winner
Since AI servers dominate server sales, it is not surprising that sales of accelerated servers are increasing. Systems equipped with GPUs produced $68.9 billion in revenue during the quarter (up 24.8% compared to the same period a year earlier) and accounted for 56.2% of all server sales. Servers based on other accelerator types, including custom ASICs and FPGAs, expanded to $17.7 billion, up 122.1% YoY. As a result, accelerated servers earned $86.6 billion in Q1 2026, which is around 70.6% of all server revenue.
X86 servers remain unit volume champions, but suffer from shortages
In contrast, x86 server revenue declined 2.9% to $63.9 billion, though IDC attributes this weakness to supply limitations rather than deteriorating demand. The market research firm claims that the industry's primary constraint is no longer customer appetite for general-purpose servers, but rather the availability of key components, including CPUs, DRAM, NAND memory, and hard drives.
(Image credit: AMD)
Without any doubt, x86 servers remain working horses for the industry. In fact, many of them use accelerators, including ASICs, FPGAs, and GPUs, as they are used for a wide range of workloads, including AI, supercomputing, simulations, encryption, video transcoding, and many more.
AMD and Intel shipped nearly 20 million EPYC and Xeon SP processors for data center systems in 2025, according to Dean McCarron, the head and principal analyst at Mercury Research. He believes Nvidia is on track to ship four million Grace and Vera CPUs this year, which is considerably lower compared to shipments of AMD and Intel. It is hard to estimate how many custom Arm-based CPUs are deployed by AWS, Alibaba, Google, and Microsoft, but it is safe to say that we are talking millions of CPUs here; otherwise, the companies would not be able to justify development and production of custom silicon.
From a volume perspective, x86 servers remain the most popular machines, and it will probably take some time before ARM can challenge x86 in mainstream general-purpose servers. Nonetheless, it is safe to say that Arm-based data center CPUs are catching up with x86 parts in terms of volumes.
Summary
The global server market hit a record $122.6 billion in the first quarter of 2026 as AI infrastructure spending continued. Accelerated systems powered by GPUs, custom ASICs, and FPGAs generated more than 70% of server revenue, while Arm-based platforms — including Nvidia's Grace Blackwell as well as custom CPUs from Arm, Google, and Microsoft — captured nearly half of the market.
(Image credit: Meta)
Although x86 servers based on AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon processors remain dominant in shipment volumes, supply shortages of CPUs, memory, and storage components constrained revenue growth, which further enabled Arm-powered AI-optimized systems to gain share. But while at 20 million data center processors per year, x86 volumes are untouchable for Arm today, things may change in the coming years. Nvidia is on track to ship 4 million CPUs in 2026, and other developers of custom Arm-based CPUs are certainly not standing still.
*There is one significant difference with IDC's 'ODM Direct' classification. IDC classifies revenue according to which company invoices the customer, not necessarily who manufactures the hardware. As a result, while many AI servers are built by ODMs like Compal, Foxconn, or Quanta, they are sold under brands like Dell or HPE. As a result, while the latter get more business from enterprises or sovereign AI deployments, this does not mean that big ODMs are losing business; they are actually gaining it, as the appetites of hyperscalers like AWS, Google, Meta, or Microsoft are not going anywhere, just demand from new entrants emerges.
SELLIN' FAST: These deals are still in stock, and the discounts are still live, 24 hours later! We're seeing a lot of interest, so jump on these while you can.
With memory prices at all-time highs, it can be challenging to find stellar deals on gaming systems. Luckily for all of us, Walmart has some deals on MSI gaming laptops, starting at $1,089 for the Cyborg 15. It may be the eve of Amazon Prime Day, but who’s to say that Walmart can’t get in on the deals action?
The Cyborg 15 is the definite value play wth its $1,089 asking price (a $510 discount). That price gets you an Intel Core 7-240H processor, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and a 1TB SSD. The Series 2 “Raptor Lake” processor has a maximum turbo frequency of 5.2 GHz and 10 cores in total: 6 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores. You’ll also find an 8GB GeForce RTX 5070 discrete GPU.
Front and center is a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display with a maximum refresh rate of 144 Hz. Also on deck are a four-zone RGB keyboard, Wi-Fi 6E/Bluetooth 5.3, and a 55.2 WHr battery. Regarding ports, the Cyborg 15 has a healthy balance of USB-A and USB-C ports along with a GbE port (which is becoming rarer these days as manufacturers aim for thinness).
The MSI Cyborg is a value-focused machine with a Core 7-240H processor and an RTX 5070 GPU.View Deal
The MSI Vector 16 is a potent gaming machine featuring a Core Ultra 9 275HX processor and an RTX 5080 GPU.View Deal
If you need a bit more spring in your gaming step, look no further than the MSI Vector 16, priced at $1,899, or a discount of $800. This system delivers a healthy performance boost over the Cyborg 15, which uses a Core Ultra 9 275HX processor. This “Arrow Lake” chip has 24 cores in total (8 performance, 16 efficiency), a maximum turbo frequency of 5.4 GHz, and 40MB of total L2 cache.
You still get 16GB of DDR5 memory and a 1TB SSD, but you also get a big performance boost with a 16GB GeForce RTX 5080 GPU. Not only do you get a higher-resolution, larger 16-inch panel (2560 x 1600) with a 240 Hz refresh rate, but you also get a much larger 80 Wh battery to power the system. As for the keyboard, you get another upgrade courtesy of a 24-zone RGB setup.
Both of these MSI laptops are compelling options for gamers, no matter your budget. Especially with the Vector 16, which offers a lot of bang for the buck at $1,799. After all, that value proposition is made even more abundantly clear, as who would have thought we’d live in the age of $1,800 handheld gaming PCs?
Valve's Steam Machine is launching, finally, with reservations starting today. While the hardware is the same as it was when it was announced late last year, almost nothing else in PC gaming seems the same. There's a massive component shortage. Prices are high on tech in general, and speculation about how the Steam Machine would be priced took over the conversation about the entire launch.
Ahead of the system's launch and reservation queue opening, I talked to Valve engineers Pierre-Loup Griffais and Yazan Aldehayyat to discuss the system: how it was engineered, why Valve made the decisions it did, and how the company came to pricing that starts at $1,049.
"It's definitely the case that you know our original design was based on memory and storage prices from, you know, two years ago or so," said Griffais. "And so we were in a different segment than we were hoping to be, but I think it's more of a reflection of where the market as a whole is than Steam Machine itself, right?"
The engineers didn't dare forecast the reception to the price, nor how that would affect sales. But Griffais suggested that Valve expects anyone who wants the power in a Steam Machine would still have to pay a similar amount in another device, but highlighted what's unique to the Machine — the form factor, how quiet it is, the CEC integration, and the dedicated Bluetooth controller antenna.
I posited the possibility of people going for a console, instead. Even the PlayStation 5 Pro is currently cheaper, at $899. But the two engineers suggested that's not the right comparison.
Griffais said there's more to compare than just specs and price. He suggested that PC gamers would also have to rebuy games they want to play, and that some of them would have to get used to the idea of paying to play games online.
"I think the value of the Steam machine is inherently tied to the value of your Steam library in a lot of ways, right?" Aldehayyat said. "Like, the more games you have on Steam, the more valuable the Steam machine is to you, and the Steam machine makes your existing library even more valuable. So, those two kinds of decisions are very much intertwined. And I think at least early on, we suspect that it's for people who already have a big Steam library… it's just going to make a lot of sense to them."
The lack of subsidies
A lot has been made of the fact that Valve is not subsidizing the hardware, which the company has said would turn the PC into a more closed ecosystem. There has always been an assumption that Valve has subsidized the Steam Deck off of the profits it takes from the sales on the Steam Store.
That's not quite the case, the Valve engineers said."
If you look at like certain SKUs at certain points of time, it might be below or above cost bya small margin," Griffais said. "I think there's some comments that we made around it, you know, being painful and all that early on, that was more about being as close as possible to cost than anything, yeah, same thing [with the Steam Machine], right?"
In fact, Griffais claimed that despite recent cost increases to the Steam Deck OLED due to the component shortage (and, now, the Steam Machine), they're being more aggressive on pricing now than they used to be.
"We understand that the higher price is less accessible to people… and so we're even more aggressive now, trying to be as close as possible to the actual cost of the parts that we're shipping," he added."
But it's important that the Valve hardware is a self-sustained program, it's not subsidized by software sales," Aldehayyat said. "So that's kind of the important piece that we can get across."
8GB of VRAM? 4K support? Really?
As soon as the Steam Machine was announced, enthusiasts honed in on one very specific point on the spec sheet: the semi-custom AMD RDNA3 graphics with 28 CUs and, to many, a sparse 8GB of VRAM.
Griffais said that Valve is "very aware" that it is being "kind of aggressive" with 8GB of VRAM. But the way he talked about it, it seemed that the team was also taking a sort of artistic license with what players want out of a small box like this. He said that the team did calculations that that for "the kind of stuff that you would want to play" 8GB could support the level of detail and performance one would expect out of a small, TV-based system."
The cases where you're running out of VRAM are actually cases that you would not want to be playing on a system like that," he said. "Yeah, it'd be too slow… The cases where you're exercising the VRAM limits are actually cases that you wouldn't want to play as a real user, in my opinion" He admitted however, that it's possible that in the future that some games may need more VRAM to reach the same performance.
Still, on SteamOS, the team has been working to make VRAM more efficient. For starters, the current iteration of SteamOS was really only meant for APUs, but now has logic for discrete GPUs and VRAM. That came with a different set of features to add, like handling VRAM under stress to get the best possible outcome. The team at Valve is still working on it.
In Aldehayyat's opinion, the upgrade cycle for PCs has been "slowing down dramatically," and that they're seeing games come out with a better ability to scale across CPU and GPU generations, and that the PC ecosystem isn't designed with a single fixed performance target in mind.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
"So, again, like for us, the metric that we care about is, can you play the games on Steam? Can you play every game on Steam? And we think the Steam machine absolutely can, right now, and we think the longevity for it is actually quite good, given the current reality of the upgrade cycles," Aldehayyat said. "I mean, maybe 10 years ago a device like this wouldn't last as long, wouldn't have the legs to be competitive for as long, but… given what the market is doing right now, and the upgrade cycles, it still has the longevity to be a good device for people for many years to come.”
But that 8GB of VRAM wasn't in isolation on the spec sheet. It also highlighted the idea of playing at 4K at 60 frames per second, provided you have AMD's FSR upscaling technology running. In my testing of the machine, that's possible for some games, but the Steam Machine really feels like a 1080p or 1440p box.
"A big part of that messaging actually came because we found a lot of people who are not as familiar with tuning their gaming settings want to just make sure that it's compatible [with] their 4K TV," Aldehayyat said, pointing out that not everyone understands the difference between render resolution and native TV resolutions. He agreed that 1080p and 1440p are probably the sweet spot.
Despite that messaging, 1080p is set as the default resolution across SteamOS globally out of the box, which Grifafis said was to have the "baseline be on the safe side." Like the Steam Deck and Steam Controller, Valve doesn't provide a ton of instructions when you start, so that's something players will need to figure out, whether they decide to change this on a game-by-game basis or across the system (or at all).
Griffais said the team wants to "make that more visible," though he didn't specify how Valve may do that. He also suggested that because Valve is testing games as part of the verified program, it could have different base resolutions on a per-game basis, like a higher resolution for a low-res indie game or an older game that doesn't need as many resources.
Several components, one big heat sink
Inside the Steam Machine's small frame is a massive heatsink and 120 mm fan that cools almost all of the critical components, including the CPU, GPU, and memory. That decision lets Valve make the smallest box possible, but it's certainly not the easy way of doing things.
One other benefit of not having two separate heatsinks big enough for a worst-case scenario is that the large, single option can be allocated to the CPU and GPU as needed.
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"So, if the CPU is not eating up its entire thermal budget, the GPU can use that, or if the GPU is not eating its entire thermal budget, the CPU can share that," Aldehayyat explained.
But covering all of the components is difficult. Ideally, you want the smallest gap possible between a thermal module and a CPU or a GPU.
"In reality, things vary; the CPU is tall, and the GPU is taller, and the motherboard bows and the thermal module has tolerances, so actually getting the design to have enough compliance in the right places to accommodate all those tolerances was by far the hardest challenge we had to overcome," he said. "But by overcoming it, I think we ended up at the most compact design, cost-effective design. It's also the quietest."
Having one heatsink also allows for one fan, which Valve spins at lower rotations per minute to keep the system nearly silent.
The design requires just a single screw to access the components — a Torx T9 bit. Valve will partner with iFixit again on repair guides, and also plans to have them sell replacement parts, including the many daughterboards that attach to the mainboard under the heatsink, such as the ports.
The SSD is easily accessible, beneath the power supply. But if you want to access the other major replaceable part — the memory SO-DIMMS — you'll have to take off the whole heatsink.
"I don't say it was impossible, it was just, given the time and engineering resources we have, we just could not come up with a solution that that worked," Aldehayyat said. The SSD is on a flex cable, but they weren't able to do something like that with memory because of signal integrity. Trying to make an access hatch through the power supply, he said, was a safety problem.
Shortages and availability
Valve has opened a randomized reservation system for the Steam Machine. That new portion — the fact that you don't have to be on Steam at a specific time to try to get in the first batch of systems — was built on the back of the existing Steam Deck reservation process. But other console shopping experiences were also an influence.
"My experience trying to buy a PS5 painted a lot of that stuff," Griffais said. "We think the broad strokes of the system are good, but there's still an effect where people are rushing at the door, trying to refresh. Our websites might have problems, and then that seems unfair to people that run into that, right? We want to make sure that there's an even playing field initially, and then work from there.
At the moment, Valve is predicting that the reservation queue will go through the end of the year, with the waitlist picking up spots on canceled orders. But depending on supply, things could change.
“Six months was as far as we were willing to make predictions," Aldehayyat said. "If there's more demand, we are obviously planning to make more."
Memory and storage are by far the biggest choke points in the supply chain, but they're not the only ones. Aldehayyat noted shortages in FR-4 (a material used to make printed circuit boards) as well as some capacitors, stating that that "if this was a normal time, people would be concerned about these things," but that in supply shortages for memory and storage "this just doesn't really crack the top 10 problems."
This led Griffais to think openly about what it means to find more supply right now. Getting supplies from a wide variety of vendors, he said, also means getting a bunch of different prices, suggesting that you could make more in a way where the pricing comes out differently.
"And so we're still trying to figure that out," he said. "If there's ever a bunch of people that want the machine, but the supply is not there on the back end, we'll have to make hard decisions about, okay, what are we doing to secure more supply,” Griffais pondered. “And does it still result [in] the product at this price? Or would we have to rethink that,” he said.
Finally, Griffais admitted, much like the rest of us, that Valve doesn’t know how the hardware shortages will evolve. “Maybe things are going to go back down, and then it's all good, and it can continue to go like that, but maybe not,” he said. “So I guess what we're trying to convey… is that it seems like all bets are off, and we're going to work through it, just [like] the users as well.”
I've just been using a similar non-powered multi-bit tool set for a laptop screen replacement job today, and wished I had an electric version to save some time. Also, I had just one pry tool, so I am eyeing this comprehensive all-in-one selection with some envy.
Inside a 110° retractable flip-top workbench case, you get a whole host of tools and repair accessories. Central to the product is the electric screwdriver itself. This is a cordless unit with a 500mAh battery inside, which you recharge via USB-C. Its knurled aluminum frame includes a display to show stats like battery remaining and torque settings. TanSon reckons you can (un)screw 1,100 fastenings with a single charge. Other attractions of the compact driver include its quad-LED light array to make sure the work tip is visible. With its selection of 42 steel bits, this cordless 200 RPM marvel should help you cut precision tinkering work time way down.
Half price
This 71-in-1 cordless electric screwdriver toolkit should save you lots of time when tinkering with your gadgets. The driver recharges via USB-C and can tackle over a thousand (un)screwing tasks, as well as featuring an LCD screen and a useful quad-LED flashlight at the tip. In the kit, buyers get 42 steel bits to fit most electronic gadgets, as well as handy, if not essential, extras such as pry tools, tweezers, and more.View Deal
TanSon on AmazonTanSon on AmazonTanSon on Amazon
Augmenting the capable rechargeable driver and array of bits, there's a very handy selection of complementary tools in the carry case. The Amazon listing for the TanSon 71-in-1 cordless screwdriver toolkit confirms there are a magnifying glass, a suction cup, four plastic pry bars, a metal pry bar, a set of pointed tweezers, plus bent tweezers, a plastic scraper, a metal scraper, a shell opening pick, five spare picks, a magnetic pad, and an anti-static wrist strap in the pack, as well as the instruction manual.
According to a report by The Economist last week, Anthropic’s powerful Mythos AI model was able to break into “almost all” classified systems belonging to the National Security Agency (NSA) — one of the highest-ranking and most powerful intelligence agencies in the U.S. government — within hours during a controlled security evaluation. The claim came from Sen. Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who said Gen. Joshua Rudd, the head of the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command, briefed him on the model’s capability.
“(This tool) broke into almost all of our classified systems, not in weeks, but in hours,” Rudd reportedly told Warner, as cited by The Economist in a June 14th report that initially went under the radar. The quote then went viral about a week later across several social media platforms, generating claims that Anthropic’s model “hacked the NSA.” In response, the original author issued a public statement yesterday, the 21st, clarifying that the narrative was false. The breach occurred during an authorized internal red-team test in which Mythos was paired with other defensive tools under highly specific simulated environmental conditions.
The story sheds light on the June 12 U.S. government directive barring all foreign nationals, including Anthropic's own non-citizen employees, from accessing the Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models, citing national security concerns. Anthropic responded by disabling the models globally, saying it could not practically enforce nationality-based access restrictions without pulling the systems for everyone.
At the time, the government did not provide detailed public evidence for the move, which marked the first time the United States had applied export controls directly to an AI model rather than to the hardware powering it. Anthropic said the letter it received did not specify the underlying concern, and that it had been given only verbal evidence of a “potential narrow, non-universal jailbreak” that could allow Fable 5 to identify software vulnerabilities.
The Rudd quote now appears to supply the missing context. The security evaluation took place on June 11, one day before the ban was issued on the 12th. Anthropic contends that the cited breach was a narrow jailbreak, one that rival models, including OpenAI's GPT-5.5, also exhibit. According to the company, the flagged behavior amounted to asking the model to analyze a codebase and fix identified issues, which revealed a few minor, already known bugs, rather than a genuine autonomous offensive intrusion. The company says it is working to restore access and is preparing a collaborative risk-management framework with the White House.
Public reaction on the ClaudeAI subreddit appears to be split into roughly three camps. The majority see the story as an indictment of the government's cybersecurity, citing its inability to hire the required level of talent and its history of leaks. A second large group is skeptical of the claim, considering it sensationalist or even an Anthropic marketing stunt. This group points to the lack of details on the supposed break-in and questions the NSA chief's technical expertise. A minority seems to push back against skeptics, arguing that observers underestimate the exponential growth in AI capabilities. They cite cybersecurity experts’ claims that AI has compressed attack timelines from hours to minutes and that even well-maintained open-source projects are seeing large numbers of vulnerabilities surface.
Despite the dispute and the broader restrictions, Anthropic continues to work closely with the NSA under a specialized arrangement within its Project Glasswing program. The Financial Times reported earlier in June that roughly six Anthropic engineers are embedded directly inside the agency as forward-deployed staff, adapting and customizing Mythos for specific operational applications, with sources indicating the work could extend to infiltrating networks operated by countries including China and Iran.
The Steam Machine is finally here, and Valve is aiming to get its small gaming PC into the hands of more gamers and fewer scalpers. While the Machine starts at $1,049 and goes up from there, the company is still expecting intense interest and has limited components.
The company is instituting a new, more randomized reservation system that aims to ensure that bots, people with faster internet connections, and people who "can schedule their life around that moment" aren't prioritized.
Reservations are open now on Steam, and you can sign up for the Steam Machine configuration or bundle that you're interested in anytime before Thursday, June 25th at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. When the sign-up period ends, Valve will randomize the list in order to determine the order. After that time, all new sign-ups will join the end of the waitlist.
Following the randomization, people who signed up will get one of two emails on that day. They will either be added to the reservation queue, and there's a Steam Machine with their name on it, or you’ll be on a waitlist and will be informed when units become available. The waitlist consists of people further down on the list than there are Steam Machines in this production run, and you're waiting for people with reservations to cancel or for future batches.
To sign up, you need a Steam account in good standing, with a purchase made on the platform before April 27, 2026. Only one reservation is allowed per household, with Valve looking at payment methods, shipping addresses, and "other information" to remove duplicates. While the purchase limitation stops scalpers from making new accounts to get on the line, it also may prevent new potential Steam customers from getting into the ecosystem.
You can sign up for multiple configurations, and if you're given a spot for more than one, you'll get a reservation for the "highest end one" and be removed from the other lists. If you sign up for multiple and don't make any lists, you'll be placed on a waitlist for the system you were closest to getting. The lists are also broken down by region: North America, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Australia.
The week of June 29, Valve will start emailing customers in the reservation queue. They'll get an option to purchase, with 72 hours to buy before Valve skips to the next person in line. The reservation queue is expected to last through the rest of the year, suggesting many waitlist customers will be waiting quite a while.
Pricing and a lack of subsidies
The Steam Machine comes in four configurations: 512GB, a 512GB bundle with a Steam Controller, 2TB (including two extra faceplates, a wooden one and a red one, pictured above), and a 2TB bundle with a Steam Controller. Here are the prices:
USD
CAD
EUR
GBP
AUD
PLN
Steam Machine (512GB)
$1,049
$1,509
€1,039
£879
$1,609
4,389zł
Steam Machine (512GB) with Steam Controller bundle
$1,128
$1,628
€1,108
£938
$1,728
4,698zł
Steam Machine (2TB) with faceplates
$1,349
$1,919
€1,359
£1,149
$2,109
5,379zł
Steam Machine (2TB) with faceplates and Steam Controller bundle
$1,428
$2,038
€1,428
£1,208
$2,228
6,048zł
The company said increases in the cost of components led to these prices. "The overall effect is that our original goal for the price of Steam Machine is no longer viable," the blog reads. "So the prices we're sharing today reflect the state of the world for manufacturing; or, more accurately, it reflects the price [of] the components as we've secured them over the past 6 months."
The company added that they couldn't source some components at all, which reduced the number of systems available at launch.
Valve said it's not subsidizing the Steam Machine because it goes against its belief in the "openness of the PC ecosystem."
"When companies sell their hardware under cost for competitive advantage, or buy exclusive content for it, they're doing that to build a more closed system, one where you don't get to choose what software you want to use," the blog reads. "We don't want that for PC hardware, and we don't think you should want it either. You shouldn't feel like you have to buy Valve hardware; you should be able to view it as just one option alongside all the devices for playing games, and select the one that makes sense for you."
Previously, Valve had said there would be no subsidy, but suggested it was because it was competing with PCs and because of the engineering work the company had done.
For those who can't get a Steam Machine or want to use other hardware, Valve says it's working on getting SteamOS to work on more hardware. Beginning with SteamOS 3.8, Valve says you will be able to put the OS together with a DIY rig, though for now, it only supports AMD GPUs.
For a long time, the best gaming PCs were relegated to desks. Under the TV has long been the realm of the console, even if some, myself included, have hooked midtowers up to their living room screens. Valve's Steam Machine is an attempt to bridge that gap, letting people who play games on their rigs and on their handhelds also play comfortably on the couch.
The hardware isn't brand new. Like the Steam Deck, Valve has turned to AMD for semi-custom chips using some older technologies. In the case of newer, intensive games, this makes the Steam Machine a 1080p or 1440p computer, though it can support 4K on older games and in some cases with FSR.
But the Steam Machine is pricier than many had hoped, coming in at $1,049 for the 512GB version and, in our review unit, a $1,428, 2TB bundle that includes two faceplates and a Steam Controller. That's largely a result of the current state of the component market, but it will leave a lot more people asking if the Steam Machine (can or should) fill their needs, given the cost.
Design of the Steam Machine
The Steam Machine really looks less like a gaming PC than a mini PC. It's a black box that, at 5.98 x 6.14 x 6.39 inches including the system's feet, can fit discreetly on a TV stand or a desk.
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The one part that really stands out is the integrated LED strip with 17 addressable RGB LEDs, which can share the Machine's system status or be customized to your liking. For instance, you can see the strip appear like a light bar when you download updates, and you can choose from solid colors, rainbows, or animations, like breathing. You can even control each of the 17 lights individually for a truly chaotic look. My preference was mostly to keep it off entirely for a minimalist effect.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The front of the Steam Machine is effectively a faceplate, which pops on and off with magnets. Valve ships two extras with the 2TB version: a fuzzy cloth-like red plate, and one with dark wood, which went well with my furniture. The company has also committed to releasing files for people to 3D print their own. (They have a good track record of this, having recently released CAD files for the Steam Controller and its puck.) It doesn't, however, have plans to sell the wooden and red plates separately.
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Located at the base of the system are the front ports: a pair of USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, a microSD card slot, and the power button.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The rest of the ports are on the rear: DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0, the AC power connector, an Ethernet jack, two USB-A 2.0 ports, and a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port. (Despite not being officially labeled HDMI 2.1, the HDMI port does support 4K at 120 Hz, and has some other niceties, like HDMI-CEC to turn on televisions).
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Also on the rear is the exhaust for the 120 mm fan attached to the heatsink that cools the APU. It's much more obvious than the intake, which is behind the front panel and draws air in from the sides. That fan is truly whisper-quiet. Even while benchmarking, I barely even heard it, and I had to pay attention and move my head near the system to notice anything at all.
Steam Machine Specifications
You can decide whether you believe the Steam Machine is a PC or a console. In Valve's eyes, it's a PC, and the spec list certainly looks like one. On paper, it's easy enough to see the significant jump from what Valve uses in its other gaming system, the Steam Deck, simply by nature of moving from Zen 2 to Zen 4 and RDNA 2 to RDNA 3.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The processor is a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 chip with six cores and 12 threads, going up to 4.8 GHz with a 30W TDP. Meanwhile, the integrated graphics are also semi-custom, using AMD's RDNA 3 with 28 compute units, going up to a maximum sustained clock speed of 2.45 GHz and a 110W TDP. The big number people are thinking about here is the 8GB GDDR6 RAM, which many enthusiasts feel is no longer enough to play some games above 1080p, let alone future-proof a system.
The system is powered by a 300W power supply, smaller than both the one in the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5.
Like the Steam Deck OLED, Valve has integrated a discrete Bluetooth antenna alongside the Wi-Fi 6E connection, which should help with latency. There's also a built-in antenna for the Steam Controller.
The Steam Machine starts with a 512GB SSD, but a more expensive option (the one we're testing) comes with 2TB. For further storage, you can add a microSD card (or swap out the SSD entirely).
Processor
Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 chip - six cores, 12 threads, up to 4.8 GHz, 30W TDP
5.98 x 6.14 x 6.39 inches (152 mm x 156 mm x 162.4 mm)
Other
Steam Controller, Two additional faceplates
Price as Configured
$1,428 for bundle with controller and faceplates, $1,349 for 2TB Steam Machine alone
Gaming and Graphics on the Steam Machine
If you're coming from the Steam Deck, the Steam Machine is a powerful upgrade. If you compare it to other gaming PCs on the market, you'll see that its GPU's aging technology is far from the most powerful option on the market.
First, let's put this GPU into context. Based on testing, we found that the Machine's graphics card would land somewhere towards the bottom of our GPU benchmarks hierarchy. To figure this out, we put together a Linux machine running Bazzite, with an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and 16GB of DDR5-5600, memory along with both the Radeon RX 6600 — the bottom GPU on our list — and the RX 7600, which is the next AMD-branded step up.
In the Unigine Superposition (1080p Extreme) and GravityMark benchmarks, both of which run natively on Linux, the Steam Machine's graphics ran in between those two Radeons. Using our Cyberpunk 2077 configuration for raster testing desktop graphics cards, the same happened, with the Steam Machine producing 79.98 frames per second, behind the 7600X at 85.48 FPS. This is capable gaming performance, but bottom-rung compared to modern desktop GPUs.
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I spent some time playing Resident Evil Requiem on the system. With the resolution set to 2560 x 1440 without any upscaling or advanced features like hair strands, the game ran largely smoothly through the Cedarbook Apartments section, as Leon sneaks past zombies, takes on a violent boss, and escapes through the other side of the building, though there were a few hiccups as he first entered the dark building. The game typically ran between 60 and 70 FPS, though there were some drops to around 20 FPS during the environmental transition, which were extremely noticeable. Here are my recordings from MangoHud, showing how the game ran:
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On SoulCalibur 6, the game ran great at 4K, hitting the game's 60 FPS frame limit with maximum graphics settings as I progressed through Arcade mode as Siegfried. Granted, that game came out in 2018 and isn't super intensive, but people have all kinds of games like that in their Steam libraries, and they should play well.
Games that barely run on the Steam Deck, like Black Myth: Wukong, can be made to easily run on the Steam Machine. It's just clear that Valve isn't aiming for people looking for the highest-end performance on every game.
In my time playing around on the Machine, I did notice some crashes and slowdowns, often (but not always!) related to changing settings. One time, this led to the entire Steam Machine crashing and leaving artifacting on-screen when it booted back up. (Another reboot fixed this.)
Some of this may be due to the fact that some games see the Steam Machine as a Steam Deck. You can turn off that auto-detection, which helped to a degree. Valve says it is updating its APIs ahead of availability to avoid these kinds of problems.
One way we tested the Steam Machine was in comparison to the Steam Deck. On paper alone, it's no surprise that the Machine blows the Deck away, but we wanted to see exactly what kind of gains you could get when moving a game from the handheld to the desktop. Here, we tested at our typical handheld settings, though we ran the Steam Deck at native 800p while the Steam Machine was tested at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K.
When I tested, I found that most games would only run at 1080p, unless I went into game settings and changed the maximum display resolution to 4K. Valve reps told me that "1080p is the system default game resolution on Steam Machine to ensure a good gameplay experience out of the box," but you can change it on a global level in Settings > Display, or, like I did, on a per-game basis.
What this reveals is a vision of SteamOS that is significantly stronger than we've ever seen, playing most of our test games at 4K better than the Steam Deck can at 800p, including Forza Horizon 6 and Red Dead Redemption 2. But again — that's at settings designed for the Deck. And it also proved that not all games can run at 4K on the Steam Machine, including Cyberpunk 2077 on the Steam Deck preset. If you were someone plugging your Steam Deck into a dock and outputting that to your TV, you would get a better experience on the same settings.
You'll see some things missing. Shadow of the Tomb Raider, one of our go-to systems-testing games, wouldn't allow the game to run above 60 FPS, even with V-Sync off. That game was tested exclusively at higher settings, where that wasn't an issue.
When comparing to prebuilt PCs, we chose the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme and Acer Nitro 60 that we tested last year. These were two of the last sanely-priced systems we saw before the component crisis got really bad, priced at $1,099.99 and $1,599.99, respectively. The CyberPowerPC boasted an Intel Core Ultra 5 225F and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, while the Acer had a Core i7-14700F and RTX 5070. Each offered 32GB of RAM. Notably, you can't find these systems at these prices now, which simply highlights the type of problem Valve had in pricing the Steam Machine. (The newer Acer Nitro 65 is over $2,000.)
For the most part, those larger boxes with desktop-class GPUs significantly outperformed the Steam Machine without any upscaling, FSR, DLSS, or similar technologies. Most importantly, the highest-end settings were playable on those machines. But those boxes are also significantly larger and have room to fit power-hungry components – and they cost a lot more now.
Valve definitely has size on its side. If you want something smaller than a mini-ITX build that comes with SteamOS installed, this is for you. But on paper, if you have nearly any GPU from the last three to four years, you already have a faster machine. And given that the Steam Machine starts at $1,049, that matters a lot.
When testing using our prebuilt desktop methodologies, which include some aspirational settings, it is clear why Valve says you need FSR to get 4K at 60 FPS. Based on the aging hardware alone, it should be clear that you won't be playing games at their top settings. But FSR can certainly help the Steam Machine along.
For example, on Red Dead Redemption 2 at medium settings, the Machine played the game at 20 FPS at 4K. But with FSR 2.0 in Performance mode, it reached 60 FPS.
On Forza Horizon 6's Ultra settings, the game ran at 30 FPS at 4K, but turning on FSR 3.1.5 Performance nabbed an extra 10 FPS.
Still, Cyberpunk 2077 was unplayable on Ray Tracing Ultra even at 1080p. Here, FSR 3.0 performance made it technically playable (up to 41 FPS from 15 FPS), but given the latency that could introduce, I wouldn't try it. (You can play this game on the Machine though — see the Steam Deck comparison above.)
If 60 FPS is your goal, the Steam Machine isn't a 4K machine, and I'm not sure Valve should have advertised it as one. It's much more suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming with appropriately middling-to-high settings, depending on what you're playing.
Upgradeability of the Steam Machine
The only exposed screws on the Steam Machine are on the rear. The two captive Torx T9 screws are in the top corners of the machine, so at least you don't have to worry about losing them. From there, a small pry tool pushed into in two purposeful-looking indents on the bottom lifts the back cover right off.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
From in there, you'll see some studs coming in from the bottom. If you look closely at the feet, you'll see they have the same Torx indents in the center of the rubber, and that they're actually screws. This is way better than how some devices require you to remove adhesive to take off screws that are under feet. It's a neat trick that shows Valve had repairability in mind.
Back inside, two more T9 screws hold the fan assembly to the chassis. With these out, you can remove the internals in one massive piece.
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From here, you'll be able to see all the ports on small daughterboards, as well as the antennas for the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. But the real jewel is at the bottom: an easily accessible M.2 SSD slot mounted below the power supply. Ours came with a 2TB drive, which is fairly roomy, but this may become a must-have upgrade for 512GB Steam Machine owners if storage prices ever come down. And this drive is also held in with the same Torx screw, so you can use one screwdriver to make that swap.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Getting to the memory is far more involved and is more of a repairability compromise than we typically like to see. You need to remove the giant heatsink, which cools all of the components with the single fan, in order to get to the DDR5 SO-DIMMS. Given how tightly packed the Steam Machine is, with many cables and ribbon cables to daughterboards throughout the outside of the heatsink and PSU, that's a complex order that takes time and more risk than I think many Steam Machine owners may want to take. But given that the daughterboards are there, you should be able to replace broken ports, even if you have to do it in groups. Valve tells me it will partner with iFixit on repair manuals, similar to the Steam Deck.
Productivity Performance on the Steam Machine
The semi-custom, six-core/12-thread Zen 4 chip in the Steam Machine can hold its own against some current mobile chips.
The closest modern chip we had a record for is the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445, which has the same core count (with four Zen 5c cores and two Zen 5 cores), with a max boost clock of 4.5 GHz and a configurable TDP of 15-54 W. Valve's chip has 30W, but the GPU is discrete and isn't included here.
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The Ryzen AI 7 445 ("Gorgon Point") in the Acer Swift Go 16 AI was marginally faster in single-core performance, but significantly faster in multi-core performance. On Handbrake, the Gorgon Point chip was 23 seconds faster than the Steam Machine, which completed the task in 6:33.
In our charts, you can also see comparisons to Intel's Panther Lake Core Ultra 7 355, a weaker chip than Valve's, and the Core Ultra X7 388H, which was stronger (but in far more expensive systems). Apple's M5, under air in the MacBook Pro, was the fastest of the bunch on both tests.
SteamOS and KDE Plasma Desktop
If you've used a Steam Deck before, everything on the Steam Machine will feel familiar. SteamOS 3 is the same here as it is on the handheld, just running on more powerful hardware. If you haven't used a Steam Deck before, but have used Steam's Big Picture Mode on a PC, you'll still be mostly at home, as the interface is very similar.
SteamOS continues to be Valve's primary advantage over the largely Windows-based ecosystem of gaming PCs. It's easily handled entirely with a controller. If you've used SteamOS on the Steam Deck, you might want to consider the Steam Controller, as you'll have all of the same buttons to navigate the operating system (and that's before you get into the fact that gameplay will feel similar).
Valve has adopted the Verified program from the Steam Deck to the Steam Machine. In Valve's documentation, it states that you need to hit 30 FPS at 1080p to be verified, which is pretty low stakes. Games that already run on Steam Deck should be shoe-ins, while the stronger hardware should enable more games to run on the Machine and earn the badge.
If you want a more typical desktop PC experience — perhaps you're playing at a desk – you can use the KDE Plasma desktop. While I suspect most people will never enter the desktop mode, Valve has added some significant updates here over the years, and I appreciate that you can use your computer as a computer. If you like to tinker and install extra software that isn't available through Steam, it's a great option.
Still, not all games run on Steam. While you can add most games to Steam through the "Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library" flow, not all work well. Some launchers have unofficial versions you can run through Linux, like the open-source Heroic Games launcher that will run Epic Games and GOG.
I wish that Valve offered a way to dual-boot Windows and SteamOS on both the Machine and the Steam Deck for these edge cases. The company said it would back when it announced the first Deck. With a 2TB drive, there is plenty of room.
"While Steam Deck is fully capable of dual-boot, the SteamOS installer that provides a dual-boot wizard isn't ready yet," Valve's page on Windows resources reads. "This will ship alongside SteamOS 3 once it's complete."
The Steam Machine is part of an ecosystem
There is a point in using the Steam Machine where I saw it as more of a platform. It was no surprise that the Steam Deck was built around playing games on a Valve platform, even if you can install other OSes. But with the Steam Machine in play, there's a fuller picture: playing your Steam games on the go, uploading the save to Steam Cloud, plopping yourself on the couch, turning on your Steam Machine, and resuming the same game, running locally, with the same controls thanks to the Steam Controller.
Perhaps one of the coolest things you can do is move your SD card from device to device. If you have an SD card in your Steam Deck, you can move it to your Steam Machine, and the games will be immediately playable. (Or, if you prefer, you could quickly move the games to the internal SSD.)
There are plenty of parts you can sub in there: You can play Steam on any handheld, or come home to your own custom-built rig, or use another controller. Despite its hardware, Steam still supports a ton of devices and ways to play.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
But if you do have Valve's hardware, it starts to feel like an ecosystem on the level with Apple's, just focused exclusively on gaming. You get some benefits there — sleep and wake work just as well on this desktop as it does on Valve's handhelds. SteamOS is the best version of Steam's Big Picture mode out there. And this is way smaller than most DIY PCs. If you're all in on Valve, this is the way to go. But if you want more power and future-proofing, subbing in a more powerful PC will last you longer in the long run.
One thing that has been notable about the Steam Deck is Valve's commitment to updates. There have been a ton, adding features, squashing bugs, and making it more stable. In fact, that history is the one thing that makes me feel reasonably confident that the bugs I have seen will eventually be fixed.
Of course, Steam doesn't have every single game. Some won't run on SteamOS because of anti-cheat issues with Linux. Others simply have compatibility problems. Valve does have a method for running non-Steam games through Steam, but some, notably Epic Games' Fortnite, don't play well with it. You can install Windows or other launchers via Linux, but you will lose some of the ease the ecosystem offers. Valve offers minimal support for Windows, but at least it's something.
Steam Machine Configurations and Warranty
There are four configurations of the Steam Machine. First, there are two models of the computer; Both of them are identical with the exception of the storage. We reviewed the more expensive $1,349 version with a 2TB NVMe SSD and two extra faceplates, and bundling it with the Steam Controller brought it to $1,428.
The base model is a cheaper $1,049 option with a 512GB SSD. Bundling that with a Controller brings you to $1,128.
USD
CAD
EUR
GBP
AUD
PLN
Steam Machine (512GB)
$1,049
$1,509
€1,039
£879
$1,609
4,389zł
Steam Machine (512GB) with Steam Controller bundle
$1,128
$1,628
€1,108
£938
$1,728
4,698zł
Steam Machine (2TB) with faceplates
$1,349
$1,919
€1,359
£1,149
$2,109
5,379zł
Steam Machine (2TB) with faceplates and Steam Controller bundle
$1,428
$2,038
€1,428
£1,208
$2,228
6,048zł
512GB isn't huge for a gaming system. Valve's spec sheet highlights that no matter which option you get, it comes with a high-speed microSD card slot. Luckily, the SSD is easy to access (See upgradeability above).
The $1,049 starting price is higher than consoles, including the more powerful PlayStation 5 Pro ($899) with 2TB of storage. A base PS5 Digital Edition is $599 with 825GB of storage. An all-digital Xbox Series X starts at $599.99. If you're looking for a living room solution to play games and don't care specifically about settings and your Steam library, those consoles are a better value.
In Asia, the Steam Machine will be sold through Valve's partner, Komodo, which also sells the Steam Deck. It will be available in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, but will not be sold in South Korea.
If you're buying this for a Steam library, you could also put Steam on any other computer and run it in Big Picture Mode. And given that supply is tight, that may be a better option for those willing to consider alternatives.
When we put together a parts list to estimate what a custom build looks like to match the Steam Machine, including a Ryzen 5 7600X, Radeon RX 7600, 16GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, a Gigabyte B650M Gaming Plus WiFi Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard, a 650W PSU, a case, cooler, and 1TB of storage, we hit $1,048.83. While our build gets you double the storage of the base Steam Machine, it doesn't get you the small case, dedicated Bluetooth or Steam Controller antennas, or super quiet operation. So if you're only comparing the Machine to other PCs, the price isn't terrible — it’s just the market, in general, that is.
Valve sells the Steam Machine with a one-year warranty.
Bottom Line
Valve's Steam Machine is a complicated little box. It was clearly designed for a simpler time, when components were plentiful, and it would be a somewhat affordable desktop that could be a more powerful option for Steam Deck owners to play their Steam games at home.
But it's not a simple time. The Steam Machine is still cute, still has a good selection of ports, still has an easily upgradeable SSD, and, most importantly, still runs SteamOS and gets all of the benefits that come with it. If you were docking your Steam Deck to the TV and wanted more performance, this will get you there, once Valve irons out the last of the bugs.
If you're just looking to get into gaming, a base-level PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X is a better deal. You can buy one and a Nintendo Switch 2 and spend less than the Steam Machine.
You can also get many of the benefits of the Steam Machine on other devices. If you have an effective gaming PC or laptop, Steam Big Picture Mode will do most of the work there. Valve is also working to bring SteamOS to more machines, though currently it's only working on Radeon GPUs.
But if you want something small for your living room that plays years of Steam titles and maybe even has a cute little wooden faceplate, the Steam Machine is for you, but you should go in understanding its limitations.
Last month, AMD officially announced FSR 4.1 for older RDNA 2 and RDNA 3 hardware, with the RX 7000 series set to receive FSR 4.1 support in July. Well, Christmas has come early as FSR 4.1 is out now for RDNA 3 desktop GPUs, a few days before it was originally supposed to launch. It's available natively in over 300 games, and all you need to do is update your GPU drivers inside AMD Adrenaline software to unlock the latest upscaler.
FSR 4.1 for the RX 7000 series is based on INT8 code that differs from the FP8 instruction set that the RX 9000 series uses. Technically speaking, only RDNA 4 has the hardware required for FSR 4.1 to work optimally, while making it backwards compatible with previous generations requires a lot of tuning and falling back on older instructions that incur a slight performance loss in exchange for better visual quality.
We power over 1 billion gaming devices worldwide.That scale comes with responsibility: push innovation forward and bring it to more gamers everywhere.Today, we're bringing @AMD FSR Upscaling 4.1 to Radeon RX 7000 Series graphics cards, extending our latest machine learning… pic.twitter.com/bpVHmQ7l0bJune 22, 2026
AMD is confident that its in-house optimizations deliver better results than community efforts, as the video embedded above shows official FSR 4.1 achieving higher frame rates in Forza Horizon 6 and Crimson Desert versus FSR 4.0.2c. That version is built from leaked code that came out last year and has since served as the foundation of Optiscaler mods that force-inject FSR 4 by making the game think it's actually DLSS.
The biggest difference will still be seen against native rendering — playing Crimson Desert at 4K, an RX 7900 XTX only managed about 43 FPS on average, while FSR 4.1 bumped that up to 64 FPS. That's nearly a 50% improvement, while looking considerably better than FSR 3.1 and remarkably close to FSR 4.1 on the RX 9000 series. Sure, FSR 3.1 could probably net a few more FPS, but the image quality won't be as sharp.
AMD also confirmed it's working on "lightweight machine learning models" to bring FSR 4.1 to RDNA 3 APUs, which should extend support to a wide range of devices. For instance, the Z1 Extreme chip inside Valve's Steam Deck is based on RDNA 3 architecture. Phoenix Point and Hawk Point silicon, i.e., Ryzen 7040, Ryzen 8000(G), Ryzen 8040, and Ryzen 200 series, also rely on RDNA 3 graphics.
RDNA 3.5 is an extension of RDNA 3, and AMD pushed back against it, not receiving FSR 4.1 just this month. If we assume this announcement also counts RDNA 3.5, then expect FSR 4.1 to also come to Ryzen AI 300 and Ryzen AI 400 series, along with Ryzen AI Max processors. AMD's current-gen Ryzen Z2 family for handhelds is also based on RDNA 3.5. For now, though, FSR 4.1 seems limited strictly to RDNA 3 desktop GPUs.
Support for older RDNA 2-based graphics cards is expected in early 2027, even though the community has interchangeably used INT8 mods for both the RX 6000 and RX 7000 series. Expect a bigger performance tradeoff on RDNA 2 compared to RDNA 3, which is what the company is likely trying to minimize in the months leading up to its launch. Nonetheless, it's exciting to see AMD at least try to catch up to Nvidia in terms of its upscaler support.
One last thing to note is that FSR 4.1.1 INT8 leaked earlier today through Proton Experimental. There was a DLL file signed by AMD, intended to work on RDNA 3.5 silicon — so basically the Steam Machine. A few people got hold of the file before it was removed and got it to work on even RDNA 2 GPUs via Optiscaler. Since the cat was out of the bag, perhaps that's why AMD decided to officially release FSR 4.1 for the RX 7000 series earlier than expected.
Unless you have several extra hundred dollars to burn, it’s virtually impossible to build a PC right now, even as Prime Day deals start rolling out. You’ll spend more than twice as much (sometimes three times as much) on a kit of DDR5 memory as you would just a year ago, and SSD prices have shot up so much that a decent NVMe drive can rival the price of a graphics card. The key to skirting the worst part of these price hikes is to shop for bundles.
If you regularly browse Tom’s Hardware, you’ve probably seen us cover bundle deals before. We’ve seen a massive increase in their availability and discount rate over the past few months, specifically when a CPU and motherboard are bundled with RAM and/or an SSD. That isn’t an accident. It’s a concentrated effort by retailers, motherboard vendors, and CPU brands to move product in a time when RAM prices have hamstrung the consumer market.
Those bundles are starting to proliferate online. Originally starting at Newegg online and Micro Center in-store, we’ve seen an uptick in the number of bundles available just about everywhere. Some of these bundles will unlock a reasonable price for building a rig. Others offer little more than some pocket change for the trouble of shelling out money at inflated prices. We’re going to help you separate the wheat from the chaff.
We’re going to run down a few bundle deals that are live for Prime Day to kickstart your next build, as well as provide a bit of context on why we’re seeing so many bundles and why the discounts on them are so high. Our focus here is DDR5, as that’s the biggest hurdle you need to overcome when building a new PC right now. DDR4 bundles are available, as well, though much of the focus is on newer platforms.
Bundle deals typically sell out quickly. We will try to keep this list updated with new bundles as we go throughout Prime Day, so check back throughout the week for fresh deals.
A midrange DDR5 bundle with the Ryzen 5 9600X and 1TB of storage for $635
If you want to get started on a DDR5 build, this bundle from Newegg has everything you need. It includes the Ryzen 5 9600X at the heart of the machine with six Zen 5 cores and 12 threads, alongside a 16GB kit of Team Group memory clocked at DDR5-6000 and a 1TB Patriot P410 SSD. The motherboard is a MSI Pro B850-S, which is decent considering the entry-level design.
This combo includes AMD's Ryzen 5 9600X, a Patriot P410 1TB NVMe SSD, 16 GB of Team Group DDR5-6000 RGB memory, and an MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi motherboard. View Deal
The motherboard is a full ATX design, so it should fit in most PC cases outside of small form factor options. I/O is fairly limited, but you still get an internal USB-C header, along with two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port, four USB 3.0 ports, and 2.5Gb Ethernet. The board also has two M.2 slots attached, along with a block of four SATA 6 Gb connectors for additional storage.
As for the Ryzen 5 9600X and Teamgroup memory, it’s all you need to get started with a modern gaming rig. 32GB of memory is ideal, but the 16GB kit included in this bundle only occupies two of the four DIMM slots on our motherboard, so sizing up down the line is always an option. The Patriot P410 is a PCIe 4.0 SSD and it comes with 1TB of storage, giving you plenty of room to install your OS and apps.
For a kicker, Newegg includes a free $80 Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240 all-in-one liquid cooler with the bundle. Although the discount may not seem like much, this bundle essentially cuts the DDR5 price down to normal levels while maintaining the list price of the Ryzen 5 9600X and Gigabyte motherboard.
A high-end Intel build with the 270K Plus for under $800
For most builds, 32GB of DDR5 memory is the sweet spot, so it’s no surprise that we see bigger discounts on bundles that include 32GB. Such is the case with this Core Ultra 7 270K Plus bundle, which includes the chip, a midrange Z890 motherboard from ASRock, and 32GB of G.Skill Trident Z5 memory at DDR5-6000. The bundle is 22% off, but that really sells short how good of a deal it is; the memory alone normally costs $510. That extra $260 buys you a Z890 motherboard and Intel’s most impressive CPU to date.
This Intel Core Ultra 270K Plus bundle includes the CPU, 32GB of G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6000 memory, and an ASRock Z890 Pro RS motherboard, alongside a free code for Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight and a free 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler. View Deal
Although Arrow Lake has earned rightful criticism, the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is among the best CPUs for gaming. It’s one of Intel’s two ‘Arrow Lake Refresh’ CPUs that come with massive performance improvements over the base range. Even at its affordable price, the 270K Plus is Intel’s fastest productivity CPU around, and it’s just a hair short of outclassing the Core i9-14900K in games.
The motherboard is ASRock’s Z890 Pro RS, which critically includes a Z-series chipset, allowing you to overclock the 270K Plus. It comes with dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, along with two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and four USB 2.0 ports. There are four M.2 slots on board, one of which supports PCIe 5.0 x4. Two others support PCIe 4.0, while the last one can operate in either PCIe 4.0 x4 or SATA3 modes. This particular board lacks Wi-Fi (and by extension Bluetooth), so you’ll need to purchase a separate add-in card.
Finally, the Tridzen Z5 RGB memory. This is the memory we use on our own CPU test beds here at Tom’s Hardware, and it’s on the Qualified Vendor List (QVL) of most major motherboards (including the board included here).
Top-shelf gaming performance with the Ryzen 7 7800X3D for $900
The gold standard for a gaming PC these days is one of AMD’s 3D V-Cache CPUs, and in particular, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D or 9800X3D, AMD’s most recent eight-core X3D parts. This bundle includes the last-gen 7800X3D, which, despite being slower than the 9800X3D, still beats everything else in our CPU benchmark hierarchy. Alongside the chip is a 342GB of Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-6000 memory and an MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk Wi-Fi motherboard.
This bundle includes AMD's eight-core Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 32GB of Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-600 memory, and an MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk Wi-Fi motherboard, alongside a free Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240 CPU cooler. View Deal
Despite coming from the Tomahawk range, this MSI motherboard is solid. It includes Wi-Fi 7 and 5Gb LAN for networking, along with a PCIE 5.0 x16 slot for your GPU and two Gen5 M.2 slots (alongside two Gen4 slots). Around the back, you get two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, three USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and four USB 2.0 ports, alongside dual 40Gb USB-C connections.
For the memory, we’ve found that 6000 MT/s is the sweet spot for Ryzen CPUs, and even then, X3D chips don’t need super-fast memory. The kit here is a 2 x 16GB kit, giving you two free DIMM slots to expand in the future.
Why bundle deals are so popular, and why we’re seeing more of them
Most bundle deals aren’t anything to get excited about. How they typically work is that a retailer wants to move more product, and in order to do so, they offer a small discount on multiple products in a bundle. This move is a major factor in why physical Micro Center locations are still so popular; bundle a CPU and motherboard together, and get them for $20 or $30 off. What we’re seeing today is different.
Outside of retailer bundles, we occasionally see bundles that are subsidized elsewhere. Maybe Intel or AMD, or a motherboard vendor, is running a promotion, and so they offer a rebate on components bundled on sale to a retailer. With current RAM and SSD prices, we’re seeing everyone pitch in.
Vendors tell Tom’s Hardware that motherboard sales have been hit hard by RAM prices, and industry reports suggest sales have dropped as much as 37% at some retailers. Motherboard vendors are in a unique position. Unlike the GPU shortages of years past, motherboards are downstream from RAM. If you can’t afford RAM, you’re probably not going to buy a new CPU or motherboard, even if the prices on those components are good (and they are right now).
So, AMD and Intel, alongside motherboard vendors and retailers, are working together to subsidize these kits. Module houses (the companies that package memory) might be kicking in, as well, but it’s hard to say. Most companies I’ve asked tell me that the specific details of each deal are different, so it’s some combination of all these companies working together on bundle deals.
Regardless, it’s in the interest of AMD, Intel, motherboard vendors, retailers, and, to a lesser degree, even module houses, to get prices down. As long as they’re inflated, the downstream sales impact hits all of them, and bundles allow all of these companies to split the burden of subsidizing high RAM prices.
When you open the listing, make sure to scroll down a bit and select the RTX 5070 option in the GPU configurator, which will drop down the price to $1,479. You'll also need to select a 750W power supply, but the RTX 5070 GPU actually takes $600 off the price of the configuration, hence the excellent deal.
Packing an RTX 5070 and a 20-core Intel Core Ultra 7 265F CPU, this desktop is ready for anything you throw at it. Despite what its looks might suggest, it's pretty upgradable from the inside, too. View Deal
As for the 5070 itself, we've put it at #3 in our roundup for the best GPUs you can buy. It's a 4K-ready card thanks to DLSS 4.5 and MFG, easily handling any game at 1440p with maxed out settings. Thanks to Nvidia's rich software stack and CUDA support, it's a great option for professional workloads, too.
The CPU is an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F with 8 P-cores and 12 E-cores running at up to 5.3 GHz. It's an Arrow Lake chip from last year, and we've tested the unlocked "K" variant, which should be pretty much identical in performance out of the box. It's an excellent value, landing just behind the iconic 9800X3D in our CPU Value Geomean charts. You're getting enough grunt for all sorts of tasks, whether it's gaming or productivity.
Tom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's Hardware
The Aurora R16 also comes with 16GB of DDR5-5200 RAM and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. The motherboard is, unfortunately, proprietary, but you can still upgrade most of the parts yourself. There's an extra M.2 slot for another SSD, the GPU can be swapped out depending on its dimensions, and even the CPU can be upgraded within the Arrow Lake family that's on the LGA 1851 socket. We'd prefer a system with 32GB of RAM, and you can upgrade this in the configuration before buying, but this will add $270 to the price.
Impressively, the entire system is backed by an 80+ Platinum-rated 750W PSU. There's even a 240mm AIO liquid cooler keeping the CPU in check, and the case looks rather sleek. We configured a similar build on PCPartPicker, and it came out to over $1,600, and that's without a Windows 11 license, so the Aurora R16 for just $1,479 is a great deal. Don't forget to scroll all the way down to "Accessories" and get the Legacy of the Dark Knight bundle for free.
The package arrives, and we are excitedly tearing into the boxes, putting the parts on the table, and we are ready to build! We reach into the toolkit and dig out the rusty old screwdriver we used to open a paint can back in 2014. We then spill standoffs and screws over the floor, ready for an unsuspecting foot at 2am!
But wait, it doesn't have to be like this! We've all done this, made the mistakes, and now we share my knowledge and that of the Tom's Hardware staff so you don't have to.
You need to start somewhere, and these kits have pretty much every tool that you could need to maintain a PC, all in a handy case. In my office/workshop, I have a general set of screwdrivers for general tasks, and a set of Hoto screwdrivers and bits for servicing my PC and any other parts I review.
HOTO's wireless screwdriver has three torque settings, charges over USB-C, and looks surprisingly good. This kit comes with a sturdy box and all the bits you will need to keep your PC running.View Deal
This HOTO SnapBloq 3.7V electric screwdriver includes 56 bits including Slotted, Phillips, Hexagon, Hexagon Security, Torx, Torx Security, Pentalobe, Standoff, Y-Shaped, Tri-Wing, Triangle, Square, U-Shaped, JIS, SIM Card Needle. It also has three torque settings, an integrated light, and charges via USB-C.View Deal
This 155-pirece kit has everything you need to get started with your first / next PC build. You get a precision screwdriver with 140 different bits (slot, Phillips, Pozidrive, Pentalobe, Torx, nut driver, Gamebit (for Nintendo consoles), Torx / Torx security, and many others. You also get spudgers and pry tools, and even a suction cup.View Deal
All the bits that you will ever need to keep your 3D printer, laptop, or PC running smoothly, and you get a great case to keep them all in.View Deal
All the bits that you need to take a PC apart, build IKEA furniture or fix that cabinet door that you promised to fix in 2018!
A great mix of precision 4mm bits for general electronics and small projects, and 1/4 inch bits for the larger jobs. You get drivers for both sizes and the same magnetic case as the Make, to prevent losing screws as you take things apart!View Deal
Whether you call them Hex or Allen wrenches, this part of our toolbox is often overlooked. Why? Because we get one in every set of flat-pack, DIY furniture that's why! You can get cheap sets of Hex wrenches, but they are ultimately made from a material softer than Play-Doh, or have the power to strip a head. You need a good set of Hex wrenches and this set from Wera is awesome.
German made precision, strength, and a ball head to enable access to awkward screws. Grab this set now, and thank yourself later!
Wera makes quality tools, and these long arm, ball-headed hex keys provide all the key metric sizes from 1.5 to 10mm.View Deal
Everyone should own these great electric screwdrivers!
At least five Tom's Hardware editors own a Hoto screwdriver. I am one of them. It should be difficult to extol an electric screwdriver. After all, it is really just a motor that spins and screws / unscrews. But Hoto's new Pixel Drive is easy to glorify!
The main screwdriver chassis is chunky and features a rubberized finish to prevent it from slipping from your hands. The twist power ring offers three levels of torque, and the simple push-button forward/reverse is a joy to use. Throw in a bonus LED light ring, and you are ready to build and maintain PCs and have plenty of power to put up those shelves in the living room. All of the details are displayed on the LED display, so you know how much power you are putting down, and how much the screwdriver has left!
Save 33% on the Fanttik S1 Pro electric screwdriver. You get 16 S2 steel bits, 3 torque settings (from 1.5 to 4.2N.m). You get the screwdriver, storage case, buts, USB-C charging cable, and a manual. View Deal
The latest Hoto electric screwdriver is now several months old and it now has a healthy 19% off the MSRP. yView Deal
A simple, go-to screwdriver set for the office, workshop, and your go-bag. With all the bits you will need to fix a multitude of problems. And now it's on sale for 25% off MSRP.View Deal
Screw Kits
Don't screw up your next PC build!
Let's be honest. We've all scrabbled around for a spare stand-off or screw to secure a motherboard to a chassis. We've cannibalized other components to ensure that our main rig has everything it needs to keep the motherboard in place and the GPU firmly attached to the case. But what if we just spent less than $10 for 400 screws?
That's right, for less than $10, we can have 400 screws, stand-offs, and insulation rings to secure every part of our PC.
In the kit, there are:
Hard drive screws
Motherboard screws
Chassis fan screws
SSD screws
Insulation gaskets
High-strength chassis screws (think GPUs)
M2 screws
Flat Phillips screws
M3 Stand-offs
Chassis hand twist screws
With ten different types of screws, stand-offs, and gaskets, this kit has everything you need to secure your precious components inside your PC. And now you can get them on sale.View Deal
I bought myself a similar pack years ago since I deal with motherboards and system components on the daily, and it has proven its worth on more than a few occasions.
For less than $10, just throw it into your basket without thinking!
Flashlights
Save money on this 'illuminating' flashlight deal
A good flashlight is one of the most rewarding tools that we can own. It lights up the dark, helps us see obstacles and what we are working on, and could be used to signal planes, should you be trapped on the island from Lost.
Get a great deal on this small flashlight that could. This flashlight outputs up to 100,000 and lasts 5-15 hours (display to show charge %) and charges with USB-C. It has five modes (high-middle-low-strobe-SOS) comes with a carrying case, charger cable, and more.View Deal
With USB Type-C charging, six brightness modes, and a magnetic base, the Wuben E7 is a useful flashlight for makers and tinkerers who want extra light for their work, without compromising on quality.View Deal
Air dusters and cleaners
Clean the filth from your PC!
Air blowers/dusters are a popular choice for quickly blowing out fans and filters to remove any collected dust and fluff. They can also blow out the crumbs that linger under your keyboard. Air blowers are a great alternative to single-use compressed air cans.
The Wolfbox MegaFlow 100 (MF100) may sound like a 1990s Euro Rock tribute act, but it has 150,000 RPM of power to blow dust out of your PC at 45 meters per second!
This convenient blower is battery-powered and supports USB Type-C charging. The MF100 fully charges in 2.5 hours and provides up to 100 minutes of runtime on the first setting. The MF100 is small and compact, weighing only 0.66lb, so it can be easily stored when not in use. The MF100 is also supported by a 24-month guarantee and 24/7 customer service.
This compact air duster can move air at up to 45 m/s with its 150,000 RPM turbofan. A rechargeable battery gives up to 100 minutes of use time and supports USB Type-C charging. The MF100 includes five nozzles and two brush tools to help clean your PC equipment.View Deal
Not everyone wants to buy an $80 air duster. There are plenty that cost less that still move a lot of air and come with several attachments that are plenty useful for cleaning out your PC.
For only under $27, get your hands on this rechargeable 110,000 RPM electric air duster. You get three adjustable speed settings, and about 20-40 minutes of continuous cleaning power (displayed on the LED screen) from the 7500 MAh battery. It comes with five nozzles and four soft brushes for any task.View Deal
I clean out my desktop PC once or twice a year and my blower did a great job, but there were times when the amassed collection of dead skin cells, dog and cat hair, and other fluff was too much for my much weaker air duster. So I bought some cans of compressed air, and not the dollar store stuff either! I don't use them often, but they are handy when you need a little more power in a precise point.
Designed for electronics, these two 10-oz bottles of compressed air will blow the dust, dead skin, and last week's sandwich from your keyboard and help prevent the inside of your PC case from becoming a biohazard. Designed for electronics, these four, 10oz bottle of compressed air will blow the dust, dead skin and last week's sandwich from your keyboard and help prevent the inside of your PC case becoming a biohazard.View Deal
Sometimes compressed air or turbo-force USB-powered jet fans aren't enough, and so you must get your hands dirty. Cleaning any electronic components should be done with care. Components aren't as static sensitive as their predecessors but we should take care not to trash our kit.
These nylon anti-static brushes come in a range of sizes and shapes to clean dust from components and inside drive bays, and to keep caked-on dust from your fan blades. It also includes a keycap puller and tweezers to deep clean the harrowing scene that lurks under your keyboard.
Every type of brush is here to deep clean your PC, keyboard and whatever else needs cleaning in your rig.
The final cleaning product that you need for building and maintaining PCs is Isopropyl Alcohol, IPA. Yes, 99% is overkill; heck, it's medical grade for first aid use, but if you really want to eke it out, get some distilled water and water down your mix to 70%. I don’t because it works well as it is.
My top tip, though, is not to spray it when the components are hot. There is very little risk of fire, but it will evaporate rather quickly. That said, in the electronics hobbyist world, rapidly evaporating IPA is used to identify super-hot chips, typically those that have shorted.
Buying in bulk and decanting into dollar store spray bottles is the smart way to get all the IPA that you need.View Deal
Thermal pastes
Thermal paste etiquette — pea-sized blob, an X, or a smooth layer like peanut butter?
Let's all agree that, however you apply thermal paste, that is the right way, ok? Thermal paste / TIM or thermal pads bridge the hot side of a component to a heatsink or heatpipe, which wicks away heat, keeping the component cool.
Thermal material is essential to keep your system cool, and I asked the team what they use. Our Editor-in-Chief, Paul Alcorn, said that MX-6 is his go-to thermal paste. So I looked around and found this handy kit that contains 4G of thermal paste and six handy wipes. The wipes are essentially isopropyl alcohol on a cloth, and they are used to prepare the surface for the new paste. They will wipe off the old paste, dust, dead skin (ewww) and leave the surface ready for pasting!
One of our highest rated thermal pastes is on sale, and it comes with a handy spudger for application. Thermal Grizzly's Kryonaut Extreme outperformed many pastes pastes in our extensive benchmark suite, but it's real claim to fame is how it holds up under extreme temperatures (think sub-ambient cooling). View Deal
This kit contains 4G of Arctic MX-6 thermal paste and six MX Cleaner wipes to remove old thermal paste from components.View Deal
If you spot something better, or want to tell me I am wrong, hit the comments!
DDR2 contract prices rose 55% to 60% in the second quarter of the year and are projected to climb another 35% to 40% in the third, according to research published this week by TrendForce, pushing the AI-driven memory shortage onto a standard that first shipped in 2003 and that the three largest DRAM makers stopped prioritizing years ago. The increases come from buyers redesigning products around older memory to secure supply, and from a split among the handful of remaining DDR2 suppliers, with Winbond reducing output as ESMT expands it.
The shortage hasn’t hit DDR2 directly, but Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron have steered wafer capacity toward HBM and server DRAM to feed AI infrastructure spending, thinning the supply of mature-node parts, including DDR4. As DDR4 tightened, OEMs and ODMs began specifying DDR3 in its place, and some DDR3 designs were reworked to use DDR2, with each tier of buyers chasing whatever generation it could still source. The result of this is shortages moving down through successive generations, something we saw unfolding back in March, when earlier data showed DDR3 and DDR2 prices rising 20% to 40% in a single month.
This continues the market inversion we’ve watched unfold throughout the year, as DDR4 climbed past DDR5 on price despite being slower and older, and in which module makers and motherboard vendors restarted DDR4 production after the big three had moved to wind it down.
Winbond and ESMT are the two main remaining sources of DDR2 components, and they’re responding to the squeeze in different ways. Winbond is gradually cutting DDR2 production to shift capacity toward higher-margin DDR3, DDR4, and LPDDR4, while ESMT is doing the reverse, concentrating its wafer allocation at foundry partner PSMC on DDR2 to capture the demand Winbond is tossing aside. Taiwanese suppliers, including Nanya, are already struggling to match the volume of orders migrating down from DDR4, and because new capacity depends on slow process migration, Winbond's withdrawal removes supply faster than ESMT can replace it.
Of course, today’s PCs don’t use DDR2, so we’re likely to see the impact of these price increases landing in areas like embedded systems, networking equipment, industrial controllers, automotive electronics, and other long-lived devices that were designed around it and are too costly to requalify on newer memory generations like DDR4 and five.
The spread of rising contract prices to DDR2 suggests that we’re staring down the barrel of a very long-term DRAM shortage. Contract prices across the wider market are still rising with no sign of levelling off, and meaningful new capacity isn’t expected until late 2027 at the earliest as a best-case scenario.
On this day in 1996, id Software unleashed Quakeon the unsuspecting public. The game’s influence is difficult to overstate, with its pioneering 3D engine inspiring the first wave of 3D accelerator PC expansion card purchases, the establishment of online multiplayer competitive culture, and much more. Perhaps its impact on 3D gaming can only be matched by the same development team’s previous outing with Doom.
Happy 30th birthday, Quake! 🎂🎈 And thank you all for playing. See you later today on https://t.co/uOnB2dub9f. 9pm - 11pm GMT+1. 🎉#quake #johnromero #fps pic.twitter.com/1TBsQfs3wZJune 22, 2026
At launch, Quake drew criticism for its intense violence and gore, which also echoed Doom’s path to infamy among media and political pundits, and caused problems for ratings boards and regulators. However, id Software ignored such noise, insisting they simply made games they enjoy playing. Quake would be the last major id Software production with the ‘classic lineup’ due to burnout and various personal conflicts, notes Wikipedia.
Looking more closely at the technology behind Quake, it was clear the dev team eschewed ‘faking it with 2.5D tricks’ like in previous seminal PC FPS titles such as Doom, Duke Nukem 3D, System Shock, and others. Instead, Quake hit the scene with true 3D polygonal worlds and character models. The true 3D transformation meant that for the first time in FPS, games could enjoy real 3D collision and physics, as well as things like fully 360-degree vision and movement, and more.
With id Software’s new game engine arriving in the Pentium era, but still crushing the best CPUs of the time, it made a market for PC 3D accelerators. These add-in cards first became essential to PC gamers in the late 90s with full 3D engine titles arriving, led by Quake. So in the same era, we saw important hardware releases like the 3dfx Voodoo, ATI Rage, and Nvidia Riva cards. QuakeGL became the killer app to drive sales of these products.
As mentioned in the intro, 3D gaming engines and hardware aren’t the only long-lasting legacies we can attribute to Quake. The game also popularized online multiplayer gaming. Another huge influence Quake had was in inspiring (and allowing) the growth of a talented modding community. As well as numerous custom maps and campaigns, the moddability of Quake enabled total conversions like Team Fortress and Quake Rally, to drop a few names.
Quake would inspire imitators, tributes, and influence many more 3D gaming titles in the years and decades to come. There have also been several Quake sequels, remakes, and the game even sparked machinima film-making, where a game’s 3D world becomes a movie set. Many modern developers, including the founders of Valve, first cut their teeth on Quake modding.
Quake turns 30 today. 🎉 Three decades later, you can still dig into the source code that helped shape modern game engines, multiplayer networking, and modding communities. 🎮 https://t.co/mV5q4YdPRM pic.twitter.com/YJh95WTXp5June 22, 2026
Nowadays, folks have the luxury of the complete source code for winquake, glquake, quakeworld, and glquakeworld available on GitHub. It was released “for entertainment and educational purposes,” but under GPL, it can be used for possible commercial projects, too. Those into this kind of digital archaeology may also be interested in the GitHub repositories for Quake 2 and Quake III Arena.
In summary, Quake didn’t just splash down with one big innovation; it was the weight of multiple key advances that made it so important to the history and the future of PC gaming.
The Prime Day sales season is upon us, with a veritable flood of sales at multiple 3D printer makers. We're tracking these great 3D printer deals, so all you need to do is grab one of the best 3D printers and a few rolls of filament to start you on your printing journey. We have the full list of the best deals currently available from the new sales here, but we also have a larger series of deals listed in our Best Amazon Prime Day 3D printer deals 2026 article. We also have a larger roundup on the best 3D printer filament deals, too.
There are numerous great deals on mainstream FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printers that utilize common filaments such as PLA and PETG. In addition to resin, SLA (Stereolithography Apparatus) 3D printers utilize layers of cured resin to produce highly detailed prints.
Many of the current deals feature printers that are on our lists of the best 3D printers, best multi-color 3D printers, or best budget 3D printers. We also have an extensive library of 3D printer reviews to support our picks. There are plenty of new printers to choose from in these sales, with the very latest releases sometimes receiving discounts.
Amazon Deals
This printer comes with full auto bed leveling and a high-speed peak printing speed of 600 mm/s. The direct extruder handles up to 280°c. With a print space of 220x220x220mm, you can get creative with your prints. View Deal
The Flashforge AD5X is a Core X/Y printer that has fast 600mm/s high-speed printing capabilities, and is set up for multi-color 3D printing. Precision prints are made easier with a 300°c direct drive extruder.
The Flashforge AD5M is an enclosed Core X/Y printer with a build space of 220x220x220mm. Full auto calibration, quick-swap nozzles, and One-Click printing are major features of this well-priced printer. View Deal
Grab a terrific deal on 2KG of PLA filament from Creality. This budget bundle is perfect for picking up some plastic for getting started on your latest 3D creations. View Deal
Anycubic Deals
With its amazing speed and a huge build volume, the Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Max produces high-quality prints in just a fraction of the time it takes other machines. You can print entire armies of gaming miniatures or full-sized sculptures with excellent detail using ordinary resin. If you want to crank up the speed, switching to a thinner high-speed resin will let the machine run twice as fast.
The massive 298 x 164 x 300mm build volume is incredible for a resin (SLA) 3D printer, and the print speed is exceptional. If you need large, precise 3D prints, the Anycubic Photon Mono M7 is what you need.
The Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo is a Core XY 3D printer that produces high-quality 3D prints. Best of all, it is reliable.
The 250 x 250 x 250mm build volume is good, and the 0.4mm high-flow nozzle and direct-drive extruder are compatible with PLA, PETG, TPU, ABS, and ASA up to 320 °C.
The multi-material system, ACE Pro, provides a means to serve up four additional filaments, either in multi-color or multi-material configurations. The ACE Pro is also a filament dryer, ensuring your filaments are in optimal condition for high-quality 3D printing.
This is a great FDM printer at a really low price. Check out our review to learn more.View Deal
Bambu Lab Deals
A cheap 3D printer usually means that you have to put a lot of work into getting a great print. But not with the Bambu Lab A1 Mini. This is an awesome printer in a super-small package.View Deal
A great refresh of the P1S, with a better nozzle, screen, camera, and improved cooling system. This is the new standard to which other 3D printers will be measured.View Deal
The Bambu Lab A1 is a great 3D printer. It produces clean, detailed prints at very high speed. Best of all, it is exceptionally easy to use, lowering the entry barrier so that anyone can start 3D printing.
The direct drive extruder makes short work of many types of filament, including even the most challenging ones, such as TPU. The 256 x 256 x 256 build volume is generous, and automatic bed leveling makes setting up your printer a breeze.
Now add an AMS, a multi-material system that can be used to create multi-color prints, or for those who favor function over form, multi-material prints that take advantage of each filament's properties.
For under $500, the Bambu Lab A1 Combo is a great deal, and you should take a look at our review and grab yourself a bargain.View Deal
This dual-hot end 3D printer is made for those of us who use a 3D printer for our work. The large 350 x 320 x 325 mm build volume is great for cosplay and large statues or props. You can print PLA/TPU/ABS/PPS (up to 350C) filaments.
Yes, dual nozzles is niche, but you can print in two colors, or with an additional AMS it can print in many more colors and filaments.
Check out our full review to find out why we gave it five stars and the Editor's choice award.View Deal
Elegoo Deals
Open the box and get straight to printing your next project, fast! With a generous 256 x 256 x 256mm build volume and a fast 500mm/s print head, this is the budget 3D printer to get your projects out of the door.View Deal
Despite its small size (153 x 77 x 165 mm build volume), the Elegoo Mars 5 ultra has the power to bring entire armies of orcs and space marines to life. This is the ideal resin printer for creating your armies. It may be small, but it is fast and precise. Grab some high-detail resin, and you'll get the best details for your armies.
It has all the features that you need for easy 3D printing. Automatic bed-leveling, tilt release, failure detection, and resin level detection. The onboard camera monitors your prints.
A great introduction to resin 3D printing, now at a great price. Check out the review to learn more.
Elegoo's Neptune 4 Pro is a great low-cost entry into the world of 3D printing. It may resemble a traditional "bed slinger," but this printer is fast, thanks to Klipper-based firmware and some impressive cooling fans that sound like the printer will take off!
The direct-drive extruder is compatible with a wide range of filaments, including ultra-flexible TPU. The 225mm x 225mm x 265mm build volume is generous for most projects. If you need a larger machine, the Plus and Max offer the same machine with larger build volumes.
The Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro is an incredible 3D printer, and well worth your money. Read our full review to learn more about this great printer.View Deal
With eye-popping print quality at high-speed, the Saturn 4 Ultra is a workhorse resin printer for those who need to produce high quality and detailed 3D prints.View Deal
Yes it is an older 3D printer, but the Neptune 3 Pro is a solid workhorse that gets the job done! I own this model and it has been exceptional!
Its a bed slinger with a 225 x 225 x 280 mm build volume and auto bed leveling. It can easily print PLA, PETG and TPU and the PEI magnetic build plate sticks to your prints like glue!
This is a 3D printer for the jobbing maker. A large build volume (350 x 350 x 350mm) and a Core XY print system make this a high-volume, large-scale 3D printer.
The high-flow 0.4 nozzle can heat up to 350C and work with all filaments from PLA to Polycarbonate. The printer features a multi-material system, allowing you to print in multiple colors or with a variety of different filaments.
This is a big investment, but Creality is well known in the 3D printing space, and its open-source approach means there are many tweaks and hacks available to get even more from its 3D printers.
Creality's Ender 3 is, for many, the gateway to 3D printing. There have been many different Ender 3 printers, and this, one of the most recent, is our best budget 3D printer for beginners.
The 220 x 220 x 250mm build volume is comparable to the Ender 3's, but this affordable 3D printer is a great way to start. More so now that it comes with auto bed leveling, so no knob twiddling is required. The direct driver extruder is compatible with all filament types; however, please note that this is a bed-slinging extruder, so filaments prone to warping will still exhibit this behavior. Stick to PLA, PETG, and TPU, and you'll be ok.
You'll need to assemble this printer, but that is a great excuse to grab some extra tools to make the process easier.
Read our full review and see what the Ender-3 V3 SE can do.View Deal
MatterHackers Deals
I love these mind-bending filaments! Raspberry gold colored PLA filament that elevates even the most mundane prints into objet d'art!
This is PLA filament, which can be printed on virtually every FDM 3D printer. In your slicer, set the hotend to 225C, and the bed temperature to 50C and you'll get a beautiful stream of pliable PLA adhering to your build plate. A few layers in, and you'll see a beautiful object rise from the build plate.View Deal
A lightweight PLA with active foaming technology. This filament can print lightweight, low-density PLA parts at 230°C. View Deal
A 0.5 KG spool of Protopasta's excellent HTPLA in Jungle Green. But what is HTPLA? This is Heat Treat (HT) PLA that can be baked in a over for a few minutes to increase the stiffness of the printed object.
If you ask any PC gamer, the keyboard and mouse are probably their favorite input devices for their unbeatable precision. However, certain genres, such as racing, sports, and fighting games, are just more enjoyable with a controller. SCUF has a very diverse portfolio of controllers for both PC and console gamers, so if you need a new controller this Prime Day, you should really give them a look.
SCUF is offering up to 26% off some of the company's most acclaimed controllers from the Envision and Valor Pro lineups, designed for PC and Xbox, respectively. There's a product controller for every preference and every budget. For PC and Xbox gamers who are more budget-conscious, the Envision V2 and Valor Wired are great controllers that don't cost an arm and a leg. However, if you're shopping for a more premium controller, the Envision Pro V2 or Valor Pro Wireless will make any PC and Xbox gamer very happy.
The Valor Wired is a good controller for Xbox gamers who demand a competitive edge and superior performance but are on a tight budget. The controller's feature set includes four fully customizable rear paddles and magnetic TMR analog sticks that deliver excellent precision.View Deal
The Envision V2 is a high-performance wired controller for serious PC gamers. You can reap the benefits of the ultra-responsive Hall-effect thumbsticks, premium Omron mechanical switches, and up to 11 additional custom inputs that you can fully personalize to your needs.View Deal
The Envision Pro V2 stands out as one of the top wireless gaming mice on the market. Leveraging Corsair Slipstream wireless technology, it delivers ultra-low-latency connectivity and boasts features such as adjustable instant triggers and a built-in performance grip for superior comfort.View Deal
The Valor Pro is an officially licensed Xbox controller designed for players who refuse to compromise on performance and reliability. It features an ergonomic shape, very responsive buttons, and triggers. It's compatible with the Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.View Deal
These exclusive Prime Day offers are available in all regions, kicking off on June 23 at 12:00 AM EST and running until June 28 at 11:59 PM EST. So, you have almost an entire week to score big savings on some of the best gaming gear on the market. Don’t worry if none of our highlighted picks catch your eye. SCUF is running a big sale, so there's bound to be something for everyone.
The Thermaltake Argent E700 gaming chair is currently on sale at its lowest price ever, just one day before Amazon kicks off its Prime Day sale. You can pick up the Ocean Blue variant for around $620, which is less than half of its original MSRP of $1,299.99. However, you'll want to act fast, as stock is limited and this may be your best chance to get your hands on one of the most premium gaming chairs inspired by high-performance race car seats.
According to Thermaltake, the chair offers the aesthetics of a racing bucket seat along with the functionality and comfort of a modern lounge or office chair. In fact, the Argent E700 is currently our pick for the best-looking gaming chair for 2026. Designed in collaboration with Studio F.A. Porsche, the Argent E700 comes with a hard-body plastic shell design with a reflective, glossy finish. It also features genuine leather upholstery along with polished aluminum components, including the integrated side handles that are used for tilting and elevating.
All-time low price
Designed with inputs from Studio F.A. Porsche, the Argent E700 features genuine leather upholstery, polished aluminum components, and racing-inspired styling while offering the comfort and adjustability expected from a premium gaming chair.View Deal
As you can read in our Thermaltake Argent E700 review, the chair also offers a 4D adjustable armrest system, adjustable seat height of 41 - 53cm, a backrest that can recline from 107 to 126 degrees, and an adjustable headrest allowing users to fine-tune their seating position. Under the leather, the company has packed high-density molded foam that provides even weight distribution and firm body support while maintaining a sedentary posture. Other notable features include a class-4 gas spring for maximized safety and reliability during height adjustments, and a grade 5-star aluminum alloy base with 7.5cm caster wheels, which are suitable for both soft and hard floors.
The Thermaltake Argent E700 is far from being a budget gaming chair, but at its current discounted price of $619.80, it is considerably easier to justify than its original price of $1,299.99. The combination of premium materials, unique racecar-inspired styling, and high-end construction makes it a worthy option for anyone looking to add a statement piece to their gaming setup or home office. In case you missed this particular deal, you can also have a look at the AndaSeat Kaiser 3, which is currently $20 off. Also, make sure to head to our Prime Day gaming chair deals list for all the latest offers.
The Kobra 4 Combo is an update of 2024’s Kobra 3 Combo, or perhaps a smaller version of the Kobra 3 Max, depending on how you look at it. It takes style points from the competition, with a brushed aluminum frame and pale plastic base that screams “A1 clone.” Though the printing experience is marked improvement over its predecessor, most of the technical advancement lies in the multimaterial handler, the ACE Pro 2.
Anycubic is clearly aiming the Kobra 4 at budget-minded beginners, with a current sale price of $379 as a combo and $279 as a single color machine. Which, oddly enough, is the same price as the four-color Kobra X we reviewed in February. The Kobra X was a true leap forward, introducing a brilliant multi-material filament switcher built right into the tool head that cut down on time and filament waste.
It’s not that the Kobra 4 is a bad printer. It's just a bit unwieldy when compared to the clean filament paths and slender footprint of the Kobra X. Both machines have excellent print quality and share a quick swap hotend introduced by the Kobra X. It has excellent auto bed leveling and vibration compensation, which is mandatory for modern 3D printers. The ACE Pro 2 can double as a filament drier, which comes in handy for printing moisture-loving PETG.
The Kobra 4 Combo doesn’t have what it takes to knock the Kobra X off its spot as our “best budget 3D printer”, so we’re not including it on the Best 3D Printers of 2026 list.
Specifications
Build Volume
260 x 260 x 260 mm (10.23 x 10.23 x 10.23 in)
Material
PLA/PETG/TPU (up to 300 degrees)
Extruder Type
Direct drive
Nozzle
.4mm
Build Platform
Double sided PEI spring steel flex plate
Bed Leveling
Automatic with Auto Z Offset
Filament Runout Sensor
Yes
Connectivity
USB, LAN, Wi-Fi, App
Interface
3.5-inch Color touch screen
Machine Footprint
455.4 x 445.3 x 461.3mm (17.92 x 17.53 x 18.16 in) (not including spool holder)
Machine Weight
9.9kg (21.82 lbs)
MSRP
$499
Release Date
May 18, 2026
Anycubic Kobra 4 Combo: Included in the Box
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The Anycubic Kobra 4 was a beta unit and arrived almost completely assembled with the ACE Pro 2 in the same box. Included are two power cords, one for the printer and one for the ACE Pro 2, a signal cable, and four bowden tubes for connecting the printer to the ACE Pro. The included tool kit has hex keys, grease, and a nozzle cleaner.
Our printer was an early production unit that did not include a single spool holder, but we were able to borrow one from our Anycubic Kobra X to run TPU.
Assembling the Anycubic Kobra 4 Combo
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The Anycubic Kobra 4 ships in one large piece. The only assembly is removing the packing screws and attaching the toolhead and purge wiper.
The brackets holding the bed in place require a very long hex key, which was included. Fortunately, the hex keys are magnetized because the screws are so far under the bed that they could be difficult to retrieve if they fell off while removing them. Once the brackets are removed, the included trim pieces hide the holes in the base nicely.
Attaching the printer to the ACE 2 Pro is simple with four Bowden tubes running from the tool head to the rear of the ACE 2 Pro, and a signal wire is run from the right side of the printer as well. Both the printer and the ACE require power cords.
Leveling the Anycubic Kobra 4
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Anycubic mastered auto bed leveling and Z offset with the Kobra 3 lineup, and this continues with the Kobra 4. The initial calibration includes PID tuning, resonance testing, leveling, and noise cancellation. The printer also offers bed leveling at the start of every print.
Loading Filament in the Anycubic Kobra 4
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The Anycubic ACE 2 Pro makes filament loading simple. Just enter the filament in the feeder, and it gets slurped right up. This is a vast improvement over the earlier ACE generation, which often required multiple attempts.
Anycubic brand filament has RFID tags, which are read by the ACE 2 Pro and automatically identify the filament type and color. When using third-party filament, you need to enter the filament information from the printer’s screen and sync it to the slicer.
Design of the Anycubic Kobra 4 Combo
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The Anycubic Kobra 4 shares its styling, motion system, and hotend with the Anycubic Kobra X, which is a definite upgrade over the Kobra 3. The Kobra 4 uses a new quick-release nozzle that uses a clip to hold it in place. Swapping a nozzle without tools takes no time at all. With the nozzle and the cutter being easily removable, clearing a filament jam also takes no time at all.
Tom's HardwareTom's Hardware
The Anycubic Kobra 4 has a 720p camera, which is good for monitoring from both PC and the Anycubic App, but not so much for recording timelapses. It suffers, the way nearly all bed slingers do, with the camera angle caused by its placement on the Z axis. The camera is also used for AI spaghetti detection, which does work, and is thankfully not oversensitive.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
With the original ACE PRO, inserting filament was sometimes a chore, as it would often start feeding the filament next to the one you were trying to load. When trying to load filaments one after another, you had to wait for the first filament to be completely finished before loading the next, or misfeeds would happen. The ACE 2 Pro now operates like the Bambu Lab AMS with individual feeders for each filament. Currently, the feeding process is slow, and filament swapping takes a long time. I suspect that this will be sped up with a future firmware update.
The ACE 2 Pro has guides for the filament spools on the lid and on the back of the unit. Most of the spools we tried were compatible, including Prusament spools. Smaller spools, coils, and damaged or fragile cardboard spools can be run only on the external spool holder.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
While jamming in the ACE PRO was rare, clearing the jams could require extensive disassembly. The ACE 2 Pro solves this with the filament tubes running externally on the bottom of the unit with disconnects at the buffer.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
My favorite feature of the ACE is its ability to dry filament and dry while printing. This feature might be wasted on an open frame bed slinger, but it could come in handy with PETG.
Sadly, the Kobra 4 can dry TPU with the ACE 2 Pro, but it can’t run it. Even when I used “made for AMS,” it refused to run through the ACE. The solution is to use the single spool holder (which I had to borrow from the Kobra X) and run TPU directly into the toolhead. Anycubic promised to add a printable “single hub” to the printer’s memory to use with TPU, but for now, I was able to simply pop the whole top off and shove it directly into the extruder. I tested TPU down to 83A shore hardness, and the Kobra 4 did great with all of it.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The Anycubic Kobra 4 Combo is very quiet, with fan noise being primarily what you hear. The ACE 2 Pro is almost completely silent unless it is drying filament and even then the noise is minimal.
Preparing Files / Software
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The Anycubic Kobra 4 requires a download of Anycubic Slicer Next which is based on OrcaSlicer, which is based on Bambu Studio, which in turn has PrusaSlicer at the foundation. If you are familiar with Orca or Bambu Studio you should know what to do in Anycubic Slicer Next.
From the home page of the slicer you can see your most recently opened files and access Makeronline, Anycubic’s file sharing library.
Anycubic Slicer Next can be run offline with files transferred manually via USB. I prefer to have access to my printer from my computer and the Anycubic app if only to stop a failed print from wherever I happen to be. From the workbench page of the slicer or the task details page on the Anycubic App, you can stop a print, skip a part, and adjust everything from print temps to print speed. You can print pre-sliced files directly from the Anycubic App but the ability to change the print settings is very limited.
Printing on the Anycubic Kobra 4 Combo
The review unit came with an adorable (though mostly useless) vacuum sealed pack with four coils of PLA. To fill up that ACE 2 Pro, you’ll want to check out our guide to the best filaments for 3D printing for more suggestions.
The Kobra 4 comes with a number of presliced files on the machine’s memory, which include useful tools, test prints, and a few fun models. It also had this “four color cube” test, which is a complete waste of your time, filament and sanity. Don’t print this.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
I ran a lot of PLA while testing the Kobra 4. This pair of Geckos is a good example of the results. They printed in 5 hours and 9 minutes at .2mm layer height using 3 walls, 10% infill, and default speeds. Because of the size and shape of the model, the print speed is more like 160mm/s. It’s printed in Anycubic’s Cyan, Yellow, and Black PLA.
I did not change the default flushing volumes and ended up losing about 40 grams of filament in the filament purge. Due to a software bug, Anycubic’s slicer vastly underestimated the waste and even suggested it would flush negative values of yellow filament. This bug has been around since the Kobra X, and I really hope they have fixed it by now.
For PETG, I printed a plate of PentaClick balls from YosaNatural on Makerworld. With a .2mm layer height, four walls, and an average speed of 90 mm/s, they finished in 4 hours 38 min. The print looks great in Prusament Yellow Gold PETG, and the print-in-place hinges worked great with no hint of overextrusion. The model prints flat, then is folded and snapped into a ball shape. A small rubber band around the middle provides a spring action, so when you press the ball flat, it pops back into shape.
For TPU, I ran both hard 68D and soft 83A to make parts for our RC Deathracer, designed by Michael Baddeley.
While the smooth bumpers printed flawlessly, these spiked hubcaps, just based on their design, led to a fair amount of stringing. I’m confident this can be fixed by running with a bit more retraction. Using a .2 layer height and capping the speed at 50mm/s, the hubcaps took 5 hours and two minutes to print. This was printed using Microcenter’s TPU for MFS in black.
Tinkercad(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
For softer TPU, I printed some tires I made in Tinkercad out of 83A TPE from Esun. This required removing the four bowden hub from the tool head and forcing the soft material directly into the extruder. It's annoying, but worth the effort as it ran the TPU beautifully. I used a .2mm layer height, two walls, and 10% concentric infill, with an average print speed of 50 mm/s. This took 1 hour and 35 minutes to complete. The tires are super soft and grippy and nearly perfect, with no stringing at all.
Tinkercad(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Bottom Line
The Anycubic Kobra 4 Combo is a step rather than a leap ahead of the Kobra 3 Combo, but it is a good value for an entry level 3d printer. It borrows the clean aesthetics of the popular Bambu Lab A1 and greatly improves the multimaterial handler from its first iteration. It’s a highly capable out-of-the-box experience for beginners.
However, it can’t quite compare to the Kobra X in value or space saving. I would only recommend the Kobra 4 over a Kobra X if you were seriously feeling the need for an all-in-one filament dryer solution.
The Kobra 4 Combo is only $20 cheaper than the Bambu Lab A1, which has a more established ecosystem, and $10 less than Creality’s SparkX i7 Combo, our pick for best beginner 3D printer.
A curious new game titled Congratulations On Your Purchase recently appeared on PC digital marketplaces priced at $999. Its main claim to fame is that it is proudly “the most expensive game on Steam.” Buyers who purchase, download, and run this title will enjoy “a first-person luxury experience set inside a palace.” Perhaps most importantly, though, they will collect a ‘golden ticket’ Steam Achievement showing “you are now one of us” with the $999 proudly displayed at its center. It might be a cynical exercise in tapping into those compelled into conspicuous consumption, or it might be satire.
Behold the red-carpeted halls of the palace where you will walk to a wall and make your mark. (Image credit: Worth It Studio on Steam)
While Congratulations On Your Purchase asks for premium money, viewing the promotional video and screenshots doesn’t really give us palatial, luxury, exclusive vibes. It is more like being transported into a game credits screen where one is being congratulated for completing a Nintendo 64 game. The minimum system requirements of a GTX 1060 or RX 580 definitely seem like overkill for this 3D walking simulator ‘adventure.’
However, the gameplay, which can last about 10 minutes if you stretch it out, isn’t the point. “The most expensive game on Steam. A palace, a red carpet, paparazzi, and a wall where you leave your name — visible to every owner who comes after you. Ten minutes,” reads the Steam sales pitch – which may be AI-generated according to the small print. “The price is not a mistake. It is the point.”
Further insight into how the devs hope to get their hooks into the target audience to reel in $999 a pop is provided by the Steam page. “You paid for this. Not accidentally. Not on impulse. You saw the price. You read the description. And then you bought it anyway. Welcome.”
Towards the end of the Steam page sales pitch, the devs add a paragraph on the philosophical value of this kind of purchase. Of course, the answer isn’t discouraging towards the level of expense. Rather, the choice of how, when, and where to spend your cash is claimed to be “philosophically speaking, unanswerable.”
While Congratulations On Your Purchase may also be satirical, it can be added to your Steam Cart, purchased, and thus might raise a nice bit of pocket money for the devs at Minimum Viable Prestige and the publishers Worth It Studio. Visiting the game's associated website at www.steamelite.zone seems to confirm there have been two buyers, so far, leaving two personalized messages on the Congratulations On Your Purchase wall. We'd also grumble that this Steam game isn't even original in its satire/cynicism, as it shares much in common with the $999 Apple iOS app from the noughties dubbed I Am Rich.
Our conclusion is that you should definitely spend your money elsewhere this Amazon Prime Day week.
This is the cheapest 4TB SSD on the market. Currently, the list pricing at Newegg is $519, which has been reduced to $449, a $70 saving. If you use code FTTF462 at checkout, you'll save a further $50, bringing the price to $399, just $50 more than the 2TB version.
Use code FTTF462
Save on this M.2 2280 4Tb PCIe 4.0 SSD with promo code FTTF462, which makes this the cheapest 4TB SSD on the market right now. View Deal
This is a Gen 4, rather than Gen 5 SSD. That means you can expect sequential read and write speeds of up to 5,000 Mbps and 4,500 Mbps, respectively. While that's not the blistering speed of the Samsung 990 Pro, that drive is going to set you back decidedly more in the current economy, if you can even find it.
Even Team Group's own alternative Gen 5 is $549. The T-Force G50 comes with a patented graphene heat-sink to keep things cool and make installation simpler, and the controller in this drive is from InnoGrit.
As mentioned, $399 is the best you can expect to pay for a 4TB SSD right now, working out at around 9.7 cents per GB. That's decidedly more than you might have expected to pay last year, but prices are only moving in one direction. Silicon Motion recently told Tom's Hardware that the retail SSD market has all but disappeared, meaning this could be your last chance to buy a drive at these prices.
Thanks to ongoing AI-driven demand, trying to find any kind of storage, be it SSD or HDD, on sale at a reasonable price is next to impossible, even during deals events like Amazon’s Prime Day. But if you’ve been a PC builder or even a laptop user for several years, there’s a good chance you have a drive of some kind sitting in a drawer or the back of a closet, doing nothing more useful than collecting dust.
Whether it’s a SATA SSD, an NVMe or SATA M.2 drive that you swapped out for a faster or higher-capacity option in the before times, or even an old-school hard drive, you can drop it into an affordable USB enclosure, plug it into one of your ports, and perhaps save yourself hundreds over what you’d have to pay for a new drive at today’s awful storage prices.
Our Best SSD and hard drive enclosures page collects the best enclosures we’ve personally tested. But we’ll include some on-sale options below, as well as enclosures for older drive types, since these hard times for storage might have you reaching back to some truly old drives that can still be useful. Of course, for those who crave fast throughput and have a fast drive to drop in, we’ll also include a 40Gbps option.
A solid, see-through enclosure for 2.5-inch SATA SSDs or hard drives
There are cheaper 2.5-inch SATA SSD / HDD options, but this option from Orico uses a modern USB-C cable, rather than the more common (for some reason) Micro USB-B connection. This is important, both because Micro-B is rare these days, so you might misplace the cable.
But also, should you want to use a USB-C connector on your PC, rather than the USB-A cable that this enclosure ships with, you probably already have a suitable USB-C to USB-C cable. With other enclosures, you'd almost certainly have to order a Micro-B to USB-C cable. And no one wants one of those if they can avoid it.
This USB-C-to-USB-A enclosure is transparent, which some will like and some won’t. But I find it helpful to know at a glance which old drive I have installed. It supports UASP for faster transfers, and drives up to 9.5mm thick and up to 6TB.View Deal
A sub-$15 10 Gbps NVMe and SATA M.2 enclosure
Unless you're digging some SATA drives out of storage, the most likely (and speediest) option for putting an old drive to use as external storage is an M.2 drive. Older models might be SATA, but newer, faster options use the NVMe protocol. The tool-free option below supports both, as well as all the common physical M.2 form factors.
This tool-free 10Gbps enclosure from Orico supports both NVMe and SATA drives (the latter at 5Gbps, plenty for SATA drives), as well as 2280, 2260, 2242, and 2230 drive lengths. Drives up to 4TB are supported, and while this is a passively cooled enclosure, a thermal pad and metal heatsink are included, which should be fine for most drives of this class.View Deal
This enclosure supports speeds up to 10Gbps, which is fine for most mainstream uses. And it's unlikely most have a faster spare PCIe 4 or PCIe 5 drive to take full advantage of faster interfaces anyway. If you do, keep scrolling for a faster option, below.
Breaking out the big guns with a 3.5-inch external hard drive enclosure
If you’ve got a spacious 3.5-inch hard drive you want to make use of and don’t have the space for it inside your PC case, there are, of course, enclosures available for old-school desktop hard drives. And our favorite tested pick, from UGreen, is also on sale.
Ugreen’s 3.5-inch enclosure for desktop hard drives supports UASP for faster transfers, and USB 3.0 speeds, which is more than double the bandwidth of most hard drives. It’s also smaller than some competing enclosures, and supports drives up to 20TB.View Deal
Despite its svelte size for the category, there's no denying the bulkiness here compared to 2.5-inch enclosures, not to mention the requirement of a power brick. But hey, it supports drives up to 20TB, and you can’t cram all those bits in a 2.5-inch drive.
The only real benefit of 3.5-inch external storage at this point is capacity and price. 2.5-inch hard drives top at 5-6TB, and 8TB SSDs these days usually cost $900 or more. But this enclosure from Ugreen supports up to 20TB drives. Just remember: backing up terabytes of essential data to a single hard drive, without another off-site backup, is a good way to ensure a future catastrophe. Always follow the 3-2-1 backup rule if your data is irreplaceable.
Affordable 40 Gbps external speed, if you need it
If you’re digging in a drawer for an older drive, there’s a fairly good chance it’s not up to delivering 40 Gbps speeds, so there’s no use in overpaying for a pricier enclosure with speeds your drive can’t deliver. But for those who do have a spare SSD that’s capable of speeds of 3,100 MB/s or more and want a fast enclosure, this model from Orico, if you clip the coupon, is one of the cheapest we’ve seen from a known brand.
Speedy external storage deals these days are nearly non-existent, thanks to AI-driven storage price hikes. But you can turn an older M.2 NVMe drive from a previous upgrade into a speedy 40Gbps external SSD with this premium aluminum enclosure from Orico.View Deal
This is a fanless enclosure, and not as large as some other passively cooled options. So don't expect the fastest possible sustained performance, but Orico's enclosure supports speeds up to 3100 MB/s, as well as USB4, Thunderbolt, and older / slower USB protocols.
For years, Apple kept its M1 MacBook Air around as the ultimate budget pick in its laptop lineup. Now, the M3 MacBook Air from 2024 has just hit the same heady discount heights, plunging to $799 at Amazon in the early Prime Day sale in a deal that makes the MacBook Neo look pretty tame by comparison.
The M3 MacBook Air came out in 2024, so it's a couple of years old now. However, if you want a fantastic portable machine that will give you great battery life, this is not to be sniffed at. For just $200 more, this blows the MacBook Neo out of the water. Its M3 chip has an 8-core GPU and 10-core CPU, and you also get 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD. That means you get a better CPU and GPU core count, twice the RAM, twice the storage, and higher memory bandwidth versus the Neo. The M3 also offers drastically better battery life and a host of other extra features.
This is the lowest-ever price we've seen on this MacBook Air at Amazon, and is a fantastic budget option if you can't stretch the to latest and greatest M4 or M5 models. View Deal
Both the M4 and M5 MacBook Air are on sale for around $950 at Amazon right now. That makes this deal $150 less than those more expensive options. While the M4 and M5 chips are faster than this M3 model, this older version is no slouch.
Our Geekbench testing does reveal a fairly substantial uplift on the M4 model, which scored around 3,800 in similar Geekbench 6 single-core tests and nearly 15,000 in multi-core.
What you're getting here is really the ultimate budget MacBook right now. Of course, the MacBook Neo is cheaper at $589, but for that price, you get a meager 8GB of RAM and just 256GB of storage, half what you get with the M3. The M3 has more CPU cores (10 vs 6) than the MacBook Neo, and more GPU cores (8 vs 5). Battery life is also rated for longer (18 hours versus the Neo's 16 hours), and the M3 comes with significantly better 102 GB/s maximum memory bandwidth compared to the Neo's 60 GB/s.
Versus the Neo, the M3 MacBook Air also has a higher resolution display that is slightly larger, and has better color with Wide color (P3) and True Tone Technology. The M3 also has more speakers, support for spatial audio, better microphones for calls, and support for high-impedance headphones, which you won't find on the MacBook Neo.
If you can stretch from the Neo to this $799 Macbook Air, this one is a no-brainer as a great laptop for a college student, a gift for a relative, or a high school student.
If you're a gamer, the best CPU you can buy is going to come from AMD right now, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is going to be on your shortlist. While it isn't technically the most powerful chip on the market anymore, the 9800X3D is still an absolute powerhouse performer and our top pick for best gaming CPU in 2026, and it's just hit its lowest ever price in the UK on Amazon, costing just £339.99.
The data from Camelcamelcamel confirms what we know about Amazon's price, and an early check across the other big tech retailers in the UK points to a minimum £30 price drop compared to the cost elsewhere. There are few CPUs that offer the reputation that the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. Until very recently, it was the fastest CPU for gaming in the world, and it's still our best pick overall. This 8-core, 16-thread processor features AMD's newest Zen 5 architecture and comes equipped with a boost clock speed of up to 5.2 GHz.
The performance upgrade, however, is really noticeable in one area: the cache. These 3D V-cache chips feature a boosted 96MB L3 cache capacity, stacked beneath the CPU cores, closer to the integrated heat spreader on a reconfigured die. For gaming, that means that it doesn't need to drop down and rely on the slower system RAM, reducing latency and ensuring much higher frame rates in-game.
This 8-core X3D beast of a processor is on sale at its lowest ever price right now. While the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is faster by around 3%, benchmark data compiled by the Tom's Hardware team confirms how close of a run it is, with this CPU requiring 30% more electrical power for almost the same performance.View Deal
The 9800X3D comes fully unlocked, making overclocking a possibility, something which wasn't available on earlier 3D V-cache chips. That said, base performance is pretty stellar on its own, and there really isn't a more efficient gaming CPU on the market at this level.
Pair the 9800X3D with a modern GPU, and you won't find too many bottlenecks from the CPU end. If you combine it with a top-class option like the RTX 5080 or RTX 5090, however, and it'll smash through anything. High frame rates, high resolutions, even in CPU-heavy games like Cyberpunk 2077. The 96MB of L3 cache will give you the performance upgrade you need to perform at any level.
Tom's HardwareTom's HardwareTom's Hardware
Another bonus for the 9800X3D is its lifespan. This is a long-term CPU, with performance that sits near the top, and which is very much expected to continue to dominate gaming for years into the future. This is an AMD AM5 processor, too, and that's a platform that AMD has publicly committed to support for several years to come.
The £339.99 sale price for the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D makes it a must-buy if you're due for a CPU upgrade or you're planning a new build. While RAM and SSD prices have shot through the roof in recent months, this 9800X3D deal is an unmissable discount ahead of the Prime Day sales event, and one you'll want to grab quickly before the stock or discount runs dry.
As noted, Woot is Amazon's outlet website, so you'll sometimes see used, open box, or factory reconditioned items. However, this item is brand new and sealed. As you can imagine, there's a limit of one per customer, and we expect this deal to sell out extremely quickly.
Use code CHEAPSWITCH2
If you're a new customer at Woot, you'll save $50 on this Nintendo Switch 2, which is listed at $449 at Woot, making the overall cost just $399. If you're a returning Woot customer, you'll save $30 at checkout, making the price $419. Just use code CHEAPSWITCH2.View Deal
The Nintendo Switch 2 is Nintendo's ultra-popular handheld gaming system. The console comes with a 7.9-inch 1080p screen, and it can be docked with a TV for 4K gaming at up to 120 fps. The Joy-Con 2 controllers (included in the purchase) can be used attached or detached for flexibility.
The console comes with 256GB of internal storage and supports expansion through microSD Express cards. Obviously, if you stack up a few titles, you might want to think about buying some extra storage, and the ongoing Amazon Prime Day sale isn't a bad shout for this. The best deal right now is this Samsung P9, currently $70, although this was $47 a few days ago, so it might be worth grabbing the Switch 2 now and waiting for a better deal.
Give your Switch 2 the storage boost it needs. With fast speeds and respectable endurance, the P9 Express from Samsung is one of the best microSD Express cards you can get for your Nintendo Switch 2, with maximum sequential read speeds of up to 800 MB/s.View Deal
As noted, this is an extremely good deal on the Switch 2, even if you just use the code for returning customers to score one for $419. If you're new to Woot or Amazon and get one for $399, however, it's an absolute bargain.
Amazon Prime Day is upon us once more, and this year the retail titan's annual sale is more important than ever. With PC prices skyrocketing across the board, finding a discount on SSDs, RAM, GPUs, CPUs, and other components has never been harder or more important.
We aren't just selecting deals willy-nilly, either; our domain experts are curating a list of the best value items, often based on our in-depth reviews, benchmarks, and extensive historical pricing analysis to ensure that when we say it's a great deal, it truly is.
We'll be bringing you 24/7 coverage of the Prime Day event, which officially runs from June 23 through June 26. Remember, you'll need an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the best deals at Amazon.
This is the lowest-ever price we've seen on this MacBook Air at Amazon, and is a fantastic budget option if you can't stretch the to latest and greatest M4 or M5 models. View Deal
Get a 25-piece electric screwdriver for PC maintenance or any DIY task. Comes with a 1,500mAh battery, LED, and extension rod. View Deal
The MSI Cyborg is a value-focused machine with a Core 7-240H processor and an RTX 5070 GPU.View Deal
The Samsung 990 Pro 1TB SSD is compatible with PCIe 4.0 x4 interfaces and can reach read/write speeds of up to 7,450/6,900 MB/s. The drive uses a Samsung Pascal controller and comes with a 5-year warranty.View Deal
The Corsair Xeneon Edge is a 14.5-inch display designed to serve as an extension for your desktop and give you a small screen to host your most important apps. Its versatility means you can mount it practically anywhere — horizontally under your main monitor, vertically beside your primary display, or as a digital status panel inside your PC case.View Deal
Good morning and welcome to Amazon Prime Day at Tom's Hardware. We'll be live 24/7 this week bringing you all the latest from Amazon and rival sales, so stay tuned for deals on SSDs, RAM, GPUs, CPUs, 3D printers, tools, and more!
Don't forget your membership...
Remember, you'll need an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the best deals this week. Even the free 30-day trial will get you access:
Good morning from the UK, where the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU has just fallen to its lowest-ever price at Amazon, now just £339. The undisputed best gaming CPU on the market, this 8-core beast with 16 threads comes with clock speeds of up to 5.2 GHz, and shines in benchmark testing.
All-time low price on Amazon
AMD's latest gaming king, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, uses revolutionary 3D V-Cache technology, providing it with its pure gaming prowess. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D comes with eight cores and 16 threads and has a 120W TDP.View Deal
While this CPU has technically been dethroned by the more recent 9850X3D, that chips draws a lot more power than this one for negligible performance gains, making the 9800X3D the best bet overall for gaming. This will chew threw any 4K title, and paired with the right GPU is the first step to building the ultimate gaming PC.
We're seeing a new lowest-ever price on this MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED monitor in the UK. As the name suggests, this 27-inch monitor has a 2560 x 1440 OLED panel and a mind-blowing 500Hz refresh rate. There's also a 0.03ms response time, DisplayHDR True Black 500, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, HDMI 2.1, and DP 1.4a.
Get 17% (£90) off this QD-OLED 27-inch gaming monitor, a new lowest-ever price on this model at Amazon UK. With 500 Hz refresh rate, this monitor is perfect for 1440p gaming at very high frame rates. View Deal
Half price deals? We're on the case!
Building a PC in this economy is tough, but if you're going to go for it in 2026, you might as well save 50% on the case. Right now at Amazon UK, these two Corsair numbers are 50% and 49% off, respectively.
This case comes with space for two 360mm radiators, a GPU anti-sag bracket, and three RGB fans. It also has a sweeping glass panoramic front for delightful viewing of your internal components. View Deal
This 3500X LX-R also comes with three pre-installed fans, iCUE LINK System Hub, GPU anti-sag arm, and space for a further 10 120mm fans, which gives you space for up to two 360mm AIO radiators. View Deal
As you can see from our testing data, the 3500X runs cooler than rival NZXT's H5 flow case in CPU intensive workloads, with a difference of over two degrees at 130W power consumption:
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Switch 2 at Woot
It's early in the US, I know, but the Switch 2 is currently $399 for new customers at Woot, or $419 for returning customers, a big saving on the recently revised price of $499.
Use code CHEAPSWITCH2
If you're a new customer at Woot, you'll save $50 on this Nintendo Switch 2, which is listed at $449 at Woot, making the overall cost just $399. If you're a returning Woot customer, you'll save $30 at checkout, making the price $419. Just use code CHEAPSWITCH2.View Deal
The Switch 2 is now officially $499. This deal is listed at $449, which is already a $50 saving. If you're a new Woot customer you'll save $50 with code CHEAPSWITCH2, otherwise you'll save $30, bringing the price to $399 or $419, respectively. That's a big saving on this console, which has suffered under recent AI-driven price hikes. Limited to one per customer, we expect this to sell out extremely quickly.
UK gaming keyboard
There's a great deal at Amazon UK on this SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini Gen 3, a 60% keyboard with fully adjustable hall effect switches. The wired version of this is now just $132.89 instead of £179.99, a new lowest-ever price according to our price tracking.
Get a new gaming keyboard with hall effect switches, which are touted as having 20x faster actuation and 11x quicker response times compared to regular switches. They come with 40 levels of adjustable actuation. View Deal
The Tom's Hardware deals Discord
New to our operation for 2026 (for Prime Day and beyond) is a new Tom's Hardware deals Discord. We see hundreds of deals throughout the week that we simply don't have time to tell you about, or often discounts on products are lightning deals or low stock, selling out before we can even finish an article! To that end, we've created the Tom's Hardware deals Discord, a read-only server where you can get alerts to deals on a wide range of categories, tailored to suit you:
If you're in the market for a gaming laptop in the UK, this Lenovo LOQ Gen 10 might be the answer. With an Intel Core i5-13450HX and RTX 5060, this is great for some casual gaming as well as productivity. It also comes with a generous 24GB of RAM and 1TB SSD.
Get an Intel-powered gaming laptop with Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 144Hz display, 24GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and Wi-Fi 6. View Deal
Make room for GTA VI
If you've got an Xbox Series X and you're running short on space, Seagate's official Storage Expansion cards are the way forward. They're not as cheap as they used to be thanks to the AI component crisis, but right now you can get the 2TB version for $219, which is the lowest price we've seen in a while. It's only $30 more than the 1TB version, making the 2x capacity a no-brainer.
With a $40 coupon, this Seagate Expansion Card is just $219 for 2TB of extra Xbox Series X storage. That's not the cheapest we've ever seen it, but it's a lot better than recent pricing, and only $30 more than the 1TB version. View Deal
The Seagate Storage Expansion range is built using Microsoft's Xbox Velocity Architecture, which means games stored on the drive run just the same as they do on your Xbox's hard drive. That means support for Quick Resume with no drop in frames or latency, so you don't have to move games around in order to play them.
Steal a MacBook Air
The M3 MacBook Air came out in 2024, so it's a couple of years old now. However, if you want a fantastic portable machine that will give you great battery life, this is not to be sniffed at. For just $200 more, this blows the MacBook Neo out of the water. Its M3 chip has an 8-core GPU and 10-core CPU, and you also get 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD. That means you get a better CPU and GPU core count, twice the RAM, twice the storage, and higher memory bandwidth versus the Neo. The M3 also offers drastically better battery life and a host of other extra features.
This is the lowest-ever price we've seen on this MacBook Air at Amazon, and is a fantastic budget option if you can't stretch the to latest and greatest M4 or M5 models. View Deal
An OLED monster
This 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 is a mainstay of tech sales events these days. This Dual QHD QD-OLED monitor gets you an enormous 49-inch display, 144Hz refresh rate, and 1440p resolution for just $799. That's a return to the lowest-ever price we've seen on this model.
Get a 49-inch OLED monitor with 5120 x 1440 resolution, 32:9 aspect ratio, 144Hz refresh rate, and 0.03ms response times. View Deal
While we haven't reviewed this specific model, we loved the more potent 240Hz refresh model when we reviewed it. Get a monitor that can serve all your gaming and productivity needs. Why have loads of screens when you can just have one giant one?
Upgrade your networking for $8
I bought a TP-Link Litewave Switch recently, and it has changed my life. I used to run a cable to my PC and suffered Wi-FI over Xbox, because I didn't want the hassle of two cables coming from my router in the hallway through to my office. With a TP-Link Litewave 5, I now have a single high-quality cable serving the switch and two cables serving my PC and Xbox. It means I always get the fastest speed possible over a wired connection without ever having to move cables or change anything, and latency is much better as a result. Game changer.
For just $7.99, get a 5-port unmanaged Ethernet Switch for Plug-and-Play wired internet. You'll need a power outlet, but otherwise, this will manage your entire network for you. Remember, one of those five ports is for uplink, so you get a further four ports down, rather than five down. View Deal
Add some touchscreen to your setup
Over the weekend, this discount on the Corsair Xeneon Edge has been extremely popular. This 14.5-inch display is a desktop extension you can add to a PC case or anywhere on your desk. You can show apps like Spotify or YouTube, or pair it with iCUE to show off internal monitoring metrics like CPU and GPU temps.
The Corsair Xeneon Edge is a 14.5-inch display designed to serve as an extension for your desktop and give you a small screen to host your most important apps. Its versatility means you can mount it practically anywhere — horizontally under your main monitor, vertically beside your primary display, or as a digital status panel inside your PC case.View Deal
Ends tonight!
We absolutely love Hoto's premium range of DIY tools here at Tom's Hardware. Right now you can get this 25-in-1 mini electric screwdriver set for just $29.98 instead of $39.99. That's a 25% saving on this USB-C rechargeable set that is useful for really any PC maintenance task you can think of. It comes in a nifty carry case, and you get 24 S2 steel bits along with the screwdriver itself.
Get a USB-C charging 25-piece screwdriver set with S2 steel bits, magnetic storage case, and more. This is the lowest-ever price we've seen on this set, now just $29.98. View Deal
Just $10 above MSRP
This PowerColor Reaper AMD Radeon RX 9070 at Woot is the cheapest model anywhere, just $10 more than MSRP and $20 less than the cheapest alternative.
With 16GB of VRAM and 3584 stream processors, this is an excellent mid-range GPU and a great alternative to more expensive Nvidia options. View Deal
As you can see from our testing the regular 9070 (this is not the XT version) easily outperforms the Nvidia RTX 4070 Ti and even the newer RTX 5070. It can't match the aforementioned 9070 XT, but that's why this card is $120 cheaper.
52% off the best looking gaming chair on the market
The Thermaltake Argent E700 is the winner of our best looking gaming chair award, and now it is just $619, a massive 52% off its usual Amazon Price and very close to its previous all-time-low.
Get the Thermaltake Argent E700 gaming chair for just $619 instead of $1,299. Made with real leather, it features high-density molded foam, read stitching, and perforation for breathability. View Deal
This is a collaboration with Studio F.A. Porsche, so premium is in this chair's DNA. Our Thermaltake Argent E700 review makes clear what a stunner it is, too, with a gorgeous, glossy design that looks like it was taken straight from a real sports car.
The original downside? The price, which this incredible deal completely negates. You're getting a Porsche-designed gaming chair, made with real leather, with a brilliant finish and build quality, for just $619 here.
$220 off an 9800X3D + RTX 5070 gaming PC
Thanks to the AI price room, a pre-built gaming PC is now often the most affordable way to get a high spec rig. Luckily, this Best Buy deal brings down the cost of this 4K-capable CyberPowerPC machine, featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, to just $2,199.99.
This CyberPowerPC rig is a powerhouse ready for gaming at 1440p and 4K (in some instances). It comes equipped with our favorite CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, along with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB DDR5, and a 2TB SSD for plenty of game installations.View Deal
Our CPU benchmarks will confirm what you already know: the 9800X3D is a powerhouse processor that continues to be our top pick as the best gaming CPU.
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Eight cores, built on AMD's latest Zen 5 platform, with a boost clock speed of 5.2 GHz. The big deal, however, is that boosted L3 V-Cache, bumping it up to 96MB. That extra cache delivers the top gaming performance you'll expect with this rig, with 32GB of fast RAM and a 2TB SSD.
This is a machine built for 1440p and 4K gaming, and with this discount, it's one of the cheapest with this spec that you can buy right now.
Get 32GB DDR5 RAM for just $213 in this Newegg combo deal
RAM bundles at Newegg have become a fixture over recent months, and this one is a good option if you're planning a PC build or upgrade. This kit comes with 32GB of DDR5 RAM from Corsair, along with a Gigabyte Z890 motherboard and Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF CPU, for $861.97.
A solid deal for a PC parts bundle from Newegg that makes the effective cost of the RAM just $213.View Deal
This deal means you'd be paying just $213 for 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM which, in this economy, is a fine deal indeed.
The Gigabyte motherboard is one we've reviewed before and is a solid mid-tier option for an Intel build, with the 265KF is a good enough choice for a budget-focused rig, featuring 20 total cores. It's overclockable, but it does lack an integrated GPU, so you will need a graphics card if you build with it.
LG's premium 27-inch RGB Tandem OLED 540 Hz/720 Hz dual-mode gaming monitor is $300 off right now
High-refresh-rate gaming monitors are all the rage these days, with LG being one of the top panel suppliers in the business. It should come as no surprise that LG would include these panels in its own line of gaming monitors, which brings us to this early Prime Day deal on the 27GX790B-B. The monitor has an MSRP of $999 but is already available for $300 off, bringing the price to just $699.99 at Amazon.
The LG 27GX790B-B is definitely a high-end "premium" monitor, featuring an RGB Tandem OLED panel with a 2560 x 1440 (QHD) resolution. More importantly, the panel has a native refresh rate of 540 Hz, which is already among the fastest available. However, if you're willing to drop the resolution to 720p (we're looking at you, eSports fiends), you can boost the refresh rate to a staggering 720 Hz. If you have the graphics muscle to handle pushing out 700+ FPS and you're willing to accept 720p resolution, this one's for you.
The LG 27GX790B-B is a 27-inch QHD monitor with a native 540 Hz refresh rate, but it can switch to 720 Hz at 720p.View Deal
In addition to its speedy fundamentals, the 27GX790B-B also offers AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, features DisplayPort 2.1/HDMI 2.1 ports, and a built-in USB hub (with DisplayPort Alt Mode supported via its USB-C port). — Brandon Hill
Save $50 on the 25,000mAh, 200W Power Bank - Just $89.99 gets you a portable UGreen laptop charger in this Prime Day deal
Get a great deal on a 25,000 mAh 200W portable charger. UGreen's Nexode power bank is currently on sale for only $89.99 ($50 off). You can charge up to three devices (2x USB-C, 1x USB-A) simultaneously with the Nexode, about to output up to 200W (90Wh) total output via USB-C (140W max for one port, 100W each when both ports are used) so charging your laptops or other devices will be fast as it uses the latest PD 3.1 charging.
The TFT display shows real-time information, including battery level, remaining time, output/input power, voltage, current, and other information, and is quite useful when looking for high-level/at-a-glance information. UGreen also boasts about its durability, claiming 80% capacity after 1,000 discharges.
Today's devices burn through power quickly, so never be denied using your devices thanks to the UGreen Power Bank. A massive 25,000 mAh lets you fully charge your Switch in no time. The charger comes with one 240W USB-C cables and one port outputs a maximum of 140W (200W output total). A handy TFT screen lets you keep tabs on power status and charging speeds.View Deal
UGreen also throws in a single USB-C to USB-C cable so you can get to using the device right out of the box. You should jump on this deal now before it's too late.
Save $500 on this Lenovo Legion
This excellent Lenovo Legion laptop is $500 off at B&H Photo right now. For just $1,599, you get an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX 24-core processor, RTX 5070, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
Lenovo's Legion 5i gaming laptop contains an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX 24-core processor and Nvidia RTX 5070 GPU with 8GB of GDDR7 VRAM, 32GB of DDR5 memory, and a 1TB M.2 SSD for storage. View your games and media content on the gorgeous 15.1-inch OLED display with a fast 165Hz refresh rate. View Deal
Perhaps my favorite feature of this laptop is the OLED display, which is a 2560 x 1600 OLED panel with 165 Hz that will look fantastic and really put that 5070 to good use. The 24-core processor is excellent for both gaming and productivity, and the RTX 5070 will give you good frame rates at this resolution. You'll also get Wi-Fi 7 for connectivity, as well as Bluetooth 5.3. For ports, there's Thunderbolt 4, USB-C, and USB-A.
Save an incredible $100 off this TP-Link Wifi 7 Router
If you want to make the most out of network performance, 95% of the time you'll want to purchase your own router in lieu of using any hardware provided by your ISP. This not only often includes better specs but also a greater degree of administrative control over your network. Today, we're excited to have found a good deal on the TP-Link Tri-band BE9300 Wi-Fi 7 router, which should be plenty suitable for most users. It usually goes for around $249, but right now it is discounted to $149.99, a whopping 40% off.
The TP-Link BE9300 is a tri-band router offering Wi-Fi 7 support, which operates on a 6 GHz band. Alongside the Wi-Fi 7 are optional 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi options. You get a handful of ports to take advantage of, including a USB 3.0 port. As far as network support goes, you get five Ethernet ports to use — one of which is a dedicated WAN port, with the other four providing LAN support.
TP-Link Tri-Band BE9300 Wi-Fi 7 router: now $149 at Amazon (was $249) This router provides Wi-Fi 7 support, which operates on a 6 GHz band. As the name suggests, it's a tri-band device, which means it also offers 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The router can be operated using TP-Link's Tether app.View Deal
Like we said before, administrative control is always ideal when it comes to network security. In this case, you can implement WPA, WPA2, and WPA3 encryption options to help protect your network. The TP-Link is compatible with other EasyMesh environment devices produced by TP-Link. To control the router, TP-Link recommend using their Tether mobile app.
In general, this is a pretty good deal, but if you want to get a better idea of where it stands against the competition, check out our list of the best Wi-Fi routers and see which ones we recommend.
Get AMD's eight-core Ryzen 7 7700X at a 42% discount to start your AM5 rig
AMD’s Ryzen 7 7700X is down to one of the lowest prices it has ever seen. You can pick up the eight-core / 16-thread chip sporting the Zen 4 architecture for $232, which is 42% off its list price of $399. We’ve seen the Ryzen 7 7700X drop as low as $225, but we’re splitting hairs. This is a solid deal on a relatively new AMD chip, which is worth the price of admission alone. It slots into the AM5 socket, which AMD says it’s supporting with new processors through 2029, giving you a solid runway for upgrades in the future.
AMD's Ryzen 7 7700X is an eight-core / 16-thread chip on AMD's Zen 4 architecture. It sports a boost clock of 5.4 GHz, is unlocked for overclocking, and slots into AM5 motherboards. View Deal
The Ryzen 7 7700X is a solid all-around CPU. It doesn’t sport AMD’s coveted 3D V-Cache, so you shouldn’t expect gaming performance that can rival CPUs that cost twice as much, like the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. Still, the 7700X holds its own. It’s nearly as fast as Intel’s new Core Ultra 5 250K Plus in games, and only about 6% behind AMD’s newer Ryzen 7 9700X, which uses the Zen 5 architecture.
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As with most of AMD’s CPUs, the Ryzen 7 7700X is unlocked for overclocking. It already has a decently high boost clock speed at 5.4 GHz, but you can push beyond the default 105W TDP to achieve higher clock speeds. That won’t give you a big boost in multithreaded performance — with eight cores, the Ryzen 7 7700X has limited legroom in intense multithreaded workloads — but it will push lightly-threaded performance and gaming performance up.
Get this Acer 27-inch 240Hz QD-OLED gaming monitor for just $330
If you’re looking for value in the OLED gaming monitors segment, we have some good news for you. Thanks to OLED panels flooding the market and newer OLED technologies seemingly arriving every month, we have great deals on monitors like the Acer Predator X27U, which is currently selling for $329.99 at Amazon, a significant discount from its usual $549.99 asking price.
The Acer Predator X27U is a value-priced 27-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor with a 1440p resolution and 240 Hz refresh rate.View Deal
Any time OLED monitors, especially with a QD-OLED panel, dip below $400, we start taking notice. And in the case of the X27U, it’s even closer to the $300 mark. You’ll get a 26.5-inch panel with a 2560 x 1440 resolution and a speedy 240 Hz refresh rate. The monitor supports AMD FreeSync Premium and comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports and a single DisplayPort 1.4 hookup. It also has a full range of tilt, swivel, and height adjustments.
The X27U is a relatively low-frills QD-OLED monitor, but at this price point, it’s hard to complain given its fundamentals.
An extremely enticing Alienware deal
This Alienware gaming PC comes with an RTX 5070 and Intel Core Ultra 7 265F. While it only has 16GB of RAM, at $1,479, it is one of the best prices we've seen on a prebuilt this week, and certainly cheaper than building your own machine. It's all thanks to a decent discount on the 5070 upgrade option on the Alienware website. For $270, you can choose to upgrade to 32GB of RAM, which is still a very good price, but 16GB is not a bad trade-off given the rest of the rig.
Packing an RTX 5070 and a 20-core Intel Core Ultra 7 265F CPU, this desktop is ready for anything you throw at it. Despite what its looks might suggest, it's pretty upgradable from the inside, too. View Deal
As you can see from our testing the Core Ultra 265 falls just behind the Ryzen 7 9800X3D in terms of value in our FPS/$ data, making it a fantastic pick for a mid-range rig. Otherwise, you get a 1TB hardware. While the motherboard is proprietary, there's space for an extra M.2 slot, and you should be able to upgrade most components in future should you so wish.
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Bundle your way to a new PC
Buying individual components, especially RAM and SSDs, is very difficult in 2026. Thankfully, some bundles for components make the overall cost a bit more palatable, if not exactly pre-AI crunch in price. Bundles like this Ryzen 5 9600X with a motherboard, RAM, and SSD will save you a bit of cash on buying all the components individually, and you can put that saved cash towards a new GPU, case, cooler, or anything else you can think of!
This combo includes AMD's Ryzen 5 9600X, a Patriot P410 1TB NVMe SSD, 16 GB of Team Group DDR5-6000 RGB memory, and an MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi motherboard. View Deal
This particular deal gets you a full ATX motherboard, the Ryzen 5 9600X, and 16GB of Team Group RAM. This is a great start to a budget AM5 build. If you take a look at some of the other bundles on offer you'll also find Intel Core Ultra options with 32GB of RAM, or even a Ryzen 7 7800X3D bundle for excellent gaming performance. Take a look at our full round up:
Get an RTX 5080 upgrade at a price that's finally right
The GeForce RTX 5080 is the second-best-performing graphics card for 4K gaming and RT after the indomitable RTX 5090, but that card has only rarely been priced in line with the performance boost it offers over the already impressive RTX 5070 Ti.
As we roll into Prime Day, however, you can finally find an RTX 5080 that's priced proportionately. Zotac's Solid Core OC RTX 5080 is on sale at Newegg and Amazon for $1249 right now, and at 13% or so above the midpoint of 5070 Ti prices, that's right in line with the 16% or so better performance this card offers over the 5070 Ti at 4K.
Need a 4K gaming upgrade? Zotac's RTX 5080 Solid Core OC provides with the best performance short of an RTX 5090 across both raster and RT titles. DLSS 4.5 upscaling and MFG let you further tune performance to taste.View Deal
If you'd rather not shop at Newegg, you can grab the same Zotac RTX 5080 deal from Amazon for the same low price. View Deal
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If you want an incredible 4K gaming foundation, whether for native rendering or as a starting point for DLSS upscaling and MFG, this Zotac RTX 5080 is a rare opportunity to pick one up at a price that's not wildly inflated. And Zotac's large triple-fan cooler promises quiet running to go with this card's impressive performance. If you've been on the fence about a 5080 upgrade, this is the time to pounce. -- Jeff Kampman
Get ASRock’s Z890 Taichi for $199.99 for Prime Day - the motherboard market is so bad, you can buy a flagship-class motherboard for 15th-gen Intel processors at less than half price
ASRock has been known to provide high-quality motherboards at reasonable prices. The Taichi is a flagship-class motherboard that, at the time of release, cost $459.99. Now you can find one of the best motherboards for your 15th-generation Intel processor for under $200. That’s right, you’re saving more ($260, 56% off) than you’re paying for this awesome motherboard.
While I didn’t cover the board for this site, I did review it elsewhere and loved the SIX M.2 sockets, robust power delivery, top-notch audio solution using the flagship codec plus a DAC, and fast networking with integrated Wi-Fi 7 and two ethernet ports (2.5 and 5 GbE). There are plenty of USB ports on the rear IO, including two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C and 10 other USB-A ports. The Taichi always did well against their rivals as one of the least expensive flagships available for a given platform. And now, you get it for under $200? Crazy.
Get an incredible deal on ASRock's flagship-class Z890 Taichi motherboard. You get the best of everything here including robust power delivery, fast memory support, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, and one of the best integrated audio solutions. If you're in the market for an Intel system, the Z890 Taichi is a great motherboard at an even better price.View Deal
It’s not all about the hardware, though; the Taichi’s premium appearance and 'cog' theme will also look good inside any dark build theme. For those who like RGB lighting, there are two locations (the VRM heatsink and the bottom-plate M.2 heatsinks), and they give off a nice glow inside your chassis. For $199, there isn’t another motherboard that comes close to this Prime Day 2026 deal.
TP-Link’s Deco BE63 Wi-Fi 7 mesh router is a great bargain at $249.99
When it comes to affordable Wi-Fi 7 mesh routers, it doesn’t get much better than the TP-Link Deco BE63. Not only does it offer tri-band coverage (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz), but it also offers plenty of performance for typical household needs. Amazon currently has the Deco BE63 two-pack on sale for $249.99, a nearly 30 percent discount compared to its MSRP.
The Deco BE63 is a mid-range, tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router with four 2.5 GbE ports, 10 Gbps of combined throughput, and coverage of 5,800 square feet.View Deal
Each wireless node features four 2.5 GbE ports, any of which can be used for connecting to your cable, fiber, or 5G modem. I personally used this very same Deco BE63 two-pack in my home for the past year. I have one node downstairs in my living room connected to my T-Fiber home, and the second node upstairs in my home office. The two nodes use a wired backhaul, connected via CAT6 cabling that runs up my home’s exterior wall, then snakes across the attic.
With my setup, I can take full advantage of my 2 Gbps fiber connection with my wired connections and get extremely close using my wireless clients. In addition, since I have a home full of TP-Link/Tap smart switches, plugs, and cameras, the Deco router app also serves as a central control hub for the devices without needing to install an additional app. — Brandon Hill
Save an incredible $150 (45%) on Acer’s 27-inch Nitro 1440p monitor - just $179.99 buys a wicked-fast 270Hz IPS gaming monitor
With the RAMapocolypse in full swing and no end in sight, unless you’re looking at combo deals or prebuilt systems, chances are you aren’t upgrading your RAM, storage, or graphics card, but we’re seeing some awesome deals on monitors that aren’t affected by the AI boom and subsequent storage.
Take this Acer Nitro (XV270U Z1bmiiprx) for $179.99. It's a 27-inch 2560x1440 (WQHD) IPS panel that supports up to 270 Hz over DisplayPort (144Hz over HDMI). While its brightness isn’t the highest we’ve seen at 250 nits, it does support AMD Freesync Premium technology to eliminate screen tearing, and it has a fast 0.55ms GTG response time that reduces ghosting. The IPS panel support 99% sRGB color gamut for accurate color reproduction and Acer VisionCare technologies (think blue light shield, flicker-free tech, etc).
Save $150 and get this 27-inch Acer Nitro monitor at its lowest price we've seen in months. The IPS panel supports AMD Freesync Premium 0.5ms GTG response time, 250 nit brightness, , and supports 99% of sRGB color gamut. For only $180, you won't find anything faster for less.View Deal
The Nitro sports Zero frame technology for a thin bezel, and is supported by the ‘Ergostand’ with Tilt, swivel, pivot, and height adjustment capabilities. If you happen to require sound, it also has two integrated speakers (2W each). In all, this is a great deal on a solid monitor. If you’re at 1080p or already using a lower-refresh-rate 1440p monitor, the Acer Nitro XV270U is a worthwhile upgrade. Right now, it’s the least expensive 27-inch 270Hz WQHD IPS panel I can find, and at under $180, it’s a steal.
Score AMD's 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X at a new all-time low price
All-time low price
AMD's Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core / 24-thread CPU built on AMD's latest Zen 5 architecture. It boasts boost clock speeds of up to 5.6 GHz and slots into the AM5 socket. View Deal
AMD’s Ryzen 9 9900X doesn’t get a lot of attention, flanked by chips that make more sense for a lot of builders. At its current price, however, the chip is worth a look. It’s down to an all-time low price of $329, which is a steal. It’s a 12-core / 24-thread part on AMD’s latest Zen 5 architecture, and it boasts boost clock speeds of up to 5.6 GHz.
Based on our testing, the Ryzen 9 9900X is a solid all-around CPU. It’s in the middle of the pack for gaming, beating out Intel’s Core i5s from the last few generations while falling short of 3D V-Cache chips like the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. The extra cores help the Ryzen 9 9900X stretch out in multithreaded applications, however, beating out Intel’s Core i7-14700K and nearly matching the newer Core Ultra 7 265K.
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The chip slots into AM5 motherboards, and supports both 600- and 800-series chipsets, though you may need to update your BIOS. AMD says it will support the AM5 socket with new releases through 2029, as well.
Grab this NVMe to SATA offline cloner for only $20, 60% off its list price
The oddities around Prime Day are where you find the best deals, and that’s certainly the case here with this Rosewill NVMe to SATA cloner. It supports standard SATA drives, including power and data connections for 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drives. The M.2 slot also supports SATA drives, along with much more common NVMe drives.
The Rosewill NVMe to SATA Offline Clone Enclosure supports M.2 SATA and NVMe drives, as well as standard SATA drives, and connected to your PC with a USB 3.2 Gen 1 cable. View Deal
The device connects to your PC with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection, giving you 10Gbps of bandwidth to play with. You can certainly use this device as a minimalist dock; it supports both read and write functions, assuming your drive is using a compatible file system with your OS. With two drives connected, you can clone them offline using just the dock, or with a program like Macrium Reflect.
You can use just about any drive with the dock, as well. In addition to SATA and NVMe support for the M.2 slot, the dock has mounting points for 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 drives. With the M.2 slot, you can use drives up to 4TB, while the SATA connection supports up to 18TB.
Get 65W of power in a portable GaN charger for just $26 with this lightning deal
It’s remarkable how cheap GaN chargers have gotten over the past few years. UGreen is selling its 4-in-1 65W GaN charger for just $26 on a lightning deal ahead of Prime Day. That’s 35% off list price and a few dollars cheaper than competing chargers we’ve featured in our Prime Day USB charger hub.
The UGreen Nexode 65W GaN charger comes with four USB ports, split across three USB-C and one USB-A port, that can supply a total of 65W. View Deal
The charger comes with four ports total, including three USB-C connections and a single USB-A port. Two of the USB-C ports support the full 65W output, but only one of them at a time. The third USB-C port can supply up to 30W, meanwhile, and the USB-A port tops out at 22.5W.
You can still use multiple devices at the same time, however. If you plug, for example, the Steam Deck into one of the USB-C ports, you can still distribute 20W across the other ports.
Onkyo’s feature-packed, attractive Creator Series speakers are back down to their all-time low price – some of the best speakers we’ve tested, offering excellent connectivity for PC, TV, or stereo, steups
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I tested Onkyo’s Creator Series speakers last year, both the GX-30ARC, with 4-inch woofers and HDMI (ARC) support, and the smaller 3-inch GX-10DB. The speakers look great and pack lots of features, like Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C connectivity, a built-in phono preamp, and HDMI ARC on the higher-end model, which make them surprisingly versatile.
The larger GX-30ARC pair earned a spot on our Best PC Speakers list, in part because they also include speaker stands to better angle the sound to your ears. Just keep in mind that the speaker stands are plastic. Our chief complaint was price, but Amazon is offering both models at all-time lows for Prime Day. These aren’t new low prices, but they are the lowest prices we’ve seen on these attractive, great-sounding speakers.
These 4-inch woofer, 50-watt speakers look great and come with angled desktop stands, and can connect to your PC and just about everything else. Features Bluetooth as well as 3.5mm AUX, HDMI ARC, USB-C, line/phono, and optical connections. View Deal
These 3-inch wooder, 34-watt speakers look great and come with angled desktop stands, and can connect to your PC and just about everything else. They feature Bluetooth as well as 3.5mm AUX, USB-C, line/phono, and optical connections. View Deal
As someone who remembers Japan's Onkyo brand fondly for its 80s- and 90s-era Hi-Fi equipment, I was pleasantly surprised by these speakers, both for their sound quality and looks, but also for the plethora of modern connectivity. With their phono preamp, you can hook either speaker directly to a record player, and both also feature a subwoofer out if you want to add some low-end thump.
I enjoyed these speakers so much that, I am still using the smaller GX-10DB pair as the sound system for my bedroom projector. I’m not the type who likes earth-shaking sound for watching movies, so this 34-watt speaker set delivers plenty of sound for my movie needs. The 50-watt GX-30ARC get louder, delivering 99 dBA from a meter away, which might be overkill for some if you’re planning on putting the speakers on your desk.
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But the GX-30ARC are also a little large for that, making the GX-10DB a better fit for those looking to outfit their PC with some serious sound while keeping their desk looking stylish.
Both speakers also come with a remote for media controls and input selection. Just note that, the input indicator light that lives behind the cloth speaker grilles can be a little bright during low-light settings. Personally, I stick one of these LED-dimming stickers over the light on the GX-10DB and have been super happy with these speakers ever since.
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TP-Link’s pocket Wi-Fi 7 router is a $89 bargain for frequent travelers
When you need a small, pocketable router to carry with you for work or vacation, the TP-Link TL-WR3602BE is one of the best options on the market. And Amazon is currently selling the device for $89.99, a $40 discount off its MSRP.
The TL-WR3602BE is a pint-sized dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router that is perfect for those who are frequently on the road and need to connect multiple devices.View Deal
The TL-WR3602BE, which we reviewed in 2025, is incredibly compact, measuring just 5 x 3.7 x 4 inches and weighing roughly 8 ounces. But don't knock that small size: it still provides dual-band Wi-Fi 7 coverage (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz) and includes a 2.5 GbE WAN, GbE LAN, and a USB-C port for power. Although the TL-WR3602BE includes a USB-C power adapter in the box, its miserly power requirements let you power it from a USB power bank.
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The router also offers several operating modes, including the ability to share a paid Wi-Fi connection on an airplane (this would be a handy place to leverage the aforementioned power bank) or in a hotel room. And you can even tether your smartphone to the router via USB or connect to a USB cellular modem.
Get this Asus Prime RTX 5070 Ti for just $900 as Prime Day swings around
The one catch is that the price for that all-round excellence has been quite high of late. We found that you can expect to pay $1099 or so at the midpoint of RTX 5070 Ti prices during our recent research for our guide to the best graphics cards in 2026, as well as our work for the 2026 GPU Benchmarks Hierarchy.
But as Amazon Prime Day rolls around, both Best Buy and Newegg are making Asus' Prime RTX 5070 Ti available for just $900 — the cheapest we've seen one of these cards go for in a long time.
Asus' Prime GeForce RTX 5070 Ti puts a quiet, classy triple-fan cooler and a full-length metal backplate on our pick for the best enthusiast graphics card, all for the lowest price we've seen for a 5070 Ti of late. View Deal
Get the same great deal at Newegg if Best Buy sells out or if you'd prefer to shop at a different retailer. View Deal
We use the OC Edition of this Asus card for our own testing in the Tom's Hardware labs, and its clean design, quiet triple-fan cooler, and full-length metal backplate all make for a fine example of the 5070 Ti. The base Prime 5070 Ti on sale here sacrifices only 45 MHz of stock clocks to the OC Edition—a difference you'll never notice in games.
But you'll definitely feel the extra $50 to $100 in your pocket compared to the next-cheapest 5070 Tis out there, and this Asus Prime card offers an all-around nicer build than most board partners' most attainable product lines.
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Beyond its strong baseline performance and 16GB of GDDR7 memory, the RTX 5070 Ti's support for superior DLSS 4.5 upscaling and Multi Frame Generation makes it easy to achieve fluid, responsive gaming across a broad range of resolutions, target frame rates, and quality settings. Especially for cutting-edge path-traced games, you'll want DLSS 4.5 and MFG at your disposal for the best experience.
If you've been waiting for an RTX 5070 Ti upgrade to elevate your gaming PC and missed out on lower prices late last year, this Asus card is the best opportunity that we've seen so far during the Prime Day stretch. Don't wait. -- Jeff Kampman
32GB of DDR5 and 2TB of SSD capacity now feels like a luxury... (this is the worst timeline)
It wasn't that long ago that 32GB of DDR5 memory and 2TB of SSD capacity were not thought of as a luxury, but the ongoing memory and storage pricing crisis has completely changed the calculus. Due to insane pricing increases, finding what was once considered table stakes at a decent price point is wonderful, as we see with this prebuilt gaming machine from CyberPowerPC that comes armed with that magical 32GB of DDR5 and a 2TB SSD.
This CyberPowerPC rig is a powerhouse ready for gaming at 1440p and 4K (in some instances). It comes equipped with our favorite CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, along with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB DDR5, and a 2TB SSD for plenty of game installations.View Deal
This rig has plenty of power under the hood, too, with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D running the show and an Nvidia RTX 5070 pumping out the visuals.
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This powerful combo can handle 1440p gaming with aplomb, and allow you to reach up to 4K for some titles, especially if you're leveraging DLSS and the other bells and whistles that come with Nvidia GPUs. — Paul Alcorn
Samsung's 49-inch, 32:9 Odyssey G9 is back down to its lowest price ever at $665
The Samsung Odyssey G9 is a monitor that wants to do everything. It's a 49-inch display with a 32:9 aspect ratio — what Samsung calls super ultrawide — and a resolution of 5120 x 1440. It's basically the result of stitching two 27-inch 1440p monitors together, just without the bezels to block your view.
The Samsung Odyssey G9 G95C features a curved, 49-inch SVA panel with a dense resolution of 5120 x 1440 pixels. It can reach a refresh rate of 240Hz and has both DisplayPort and HDMI ports for video input.View Deal
Samsung has had several variations of the Odyssey G9 over the years, but this is the G95C model. It's curved with a 1000R curvature, and it uses a VA panel with typical brightness of 450 nits and a static contrast of 2500:1. The panel supports a 240Hz refresh rate, as well.
At $665, this monitor is back down the lowest price it's ever sold for, and it looks like the deal is only on Amazon right now. On Samsung's website, the G95C is still listed for $800. — Jake Roach
Grab a sweet triple-fan MSI RTX 5070 for just $30 above MSRP
We've seen plenty of good deals on Radeon cards leading into Prime Day, but GeForces haven't seen as many deep discounts. Right now, though, MSI's Shadow 3X OC GeForce RTX 5070 is taking the fight to cheap RX 9070s at Newegg with a promo code offer that cuts the final price to just $579.99, or just $30 above MSRP — the lowest price we've seen so far this week for our best midrange graphics card pick.
This MSI Shadow 3X OC Black GeForce RTX 5070 boasts a stealthy design and a big, quiet triple-fan cooler, all for the one of the lowest prices you'll find right now. View Deal
To take advantage of the deal, you will need a Newegg account if you don't already have one. Click the "FantasTech Discount Available" link on the product page, enter the email associated with your Newegg account in the pop-up that appears, and ensure that you're logged in before applying the promo code in your cart.
If you can get through that minor bit of friction, you'll enjoy a great price on a great midrange graphics card. The RTX 5070 offers great 1440p performance across both raster and RT games, and it can even game well at 4K in a pinch. You can dial in DLSS 4.5 upscaling and Multi Frame Generation to further tune performance to taste. Enjoy. -- Jeff Kampman
In this era of ballooning prices, a gaming monitor upgrade offers some of the best bang for your buck of any component upgrade. Case in point: MSI's MAG 272URDF E16, a dual-mode Rapid IPS display that lets you have both the crispy detail of 4K and the responsiveness of 320Hz 1080p gaming in one display. Best of all, this versatile monitor is just $259.99 at B&H right now (or $299.99 at Newegg).
Get MSI's versatile MAG 272URDF E16 dual-mode 4K 160Hz/1080p 320Hz display and enjoy both crisp 4K and responsive 1080p gaming at high refresh rates, all in one monitor. View Deal
Unlike many cheap monitors, the 272URDF E16 doesn't cut many corners to hit this low price. It still boasts a 400-nit maximum brightness, a wide 93% DCI-P3 color gamut, and variable refresh rates from 48 to 160 Hz in 4K mode and 48 to 320Hz in 1080p mode.
It offers one DisplayPort 1.4a connector and two console-ready HDMI 2.1 ports, plus a built-in USB 2.0 hub for peripherals. And its fully articulated stand still offers height, tilt, pivot, and swivel adjustments.
Get this versatile, budget-friendly display and enjoy the best image quality modern upscalers like DLSS 4.5 and FSR 4 can offer in AAA games, along with fast, responsive gaming in more competitive titles. What's not to love? -- Jeff Kampman
More Prime Day Tech Deals
If you're looking for dedicated pages with loads of deals in specific categories, hit any of these pages below -- yes, we have over 30 dedicated hub pages that are updated constantly.
Get a more powerful Steam Machine for less money with this Stormcraft RTX 5060 prebuilt
The Steam Machine just released at the gobsmacking price of $1,050 for the 512GB model (make sure to read our Steam Machine review), and this Stormcraft RTX 5060 prebuilt puts that price to shame. Not only is it more powerful with an RTX 5060 and much higher power limits, it’s also cheaper at $900 and comes with twice the storage space.
This Stormcraft Sirius comes equipped with an RTX 5060, Core i5-14400F, 16GB of DDR4-3200 memory, and 1TB of storage. View Deal
Valve has said that it’s broadening support for SteamOS, and you can download the OS and install it on just about anything right now (including this prebuilt). The heart of the machine is the RTX 5060 with the Core i5-14400F. The kicker, and the reason why the price is so low, is that the machine uses DDR4 memory. The same desktop with 32GB of DDR5 is currently selling for $1,600.
Although DDR5 is ideal, rumor has it that Intel is prepping a release of new processors on the LGA 1700 socket, giving this desktop some runway for future upgrades. Combined with DLSS 4.5 for upscaling and multi-frame generation, this Stormcraft desktop can run circles around the Steam Machine for less money. — Jake Roach
Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless is now just $120
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Asus' ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless is two things: a fantastic 96-percent wireless gaming keyboard and a great example of why Asus really needs to rethink how it names its products. This keyboard is just about everything you could possibly want, packed into one ultra-compact package — it's got a 96-percent layout, which means it has a full function row and a 10-key numberpad but takes up less space than some TKLs; it has a hot-swappable PCB and comes with Asus' ROG NX Snow (linear) switches; and it gets up to 1,500 hours of battery life with the RGB lighting turned off. Yep, you read that correctly — 1,500 hours of battery life (over its 2.4GHz wireless connection, of course). And it's currently on sale at Best Buy for just $119.99 — $60 off its normal retail price of $179.99.
This compact 96-percent wireless keyboard features hot-swappable ROG NX Snow (linear) switches, double-shot PBT keycaps, and comes with a matching wrist rest. It has dual wireless connectivity and gets over 1,500 hours of battery life with the lighting turned off. View Deal
This price only seems to be for the white variant (the black version is also on sale, but it's $12 more at $132), which is surprising given that white is usually the version that ends up costing more.
The ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless is also a very well-built keyboard. It has a metal top plate and a plastic chassis, with double-shot PBT keycaps with shine-through legends so you can take full advantage of the bright, customizable RGB lighting. It sounds great whether you're typing or gaming, and it comes with a leatherette-covered padded wrist rest that fits its unique size perfectly.
Get an X870E motherboard virtually for free when you buy this 9800X3D + Samsung 990 Pro 2TB bundle
Bundles are the way to save when building a PC during this Prime Day period, but that assumes all of the components in a combo deal are worth buying individually. We're happy to share another rockin' one. Newegg is bundling a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, our best gaming CPU pick, with Samsung's 990 Pro 2TB SSD and Asus' decked-out TUF Gaming X870E-Plus Wifi 7 Socket AM5 motherboard, all for $824.99.
Pick up this bundle and save $313.98 on a sweet AMD X870E motherboard, AMD's unmatched Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU, and a 2TB Samsung 990 Pro PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. You also get a free $80 Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240 CPU cooler in the bargain.View Deal
All told, the combo savings from this deal add up to $313.98, which is like getting the $309.99 TUF Gaming X870E board for free. That board comes packed with connectivity options, including a whopping 13 back-panel USB ports and 2.5GbE wired Ethernet alongside the speedy Wi-Fi 7 radio.
Newegg is also throwing in a Cooler Master Elite Liquid 240 CPU cooler that's well-matched to the 9800X3D and represents an $80 value in itself. Grab some memory, a case, a graphics card, and a power supply, and you're all set for a beastly gaming build. -- Jeff Kampman
Razer's last-gen BlackShark V2 Pro is a great deal at just $130
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
There's a reason that the BlackShark V2 Pro (Gen-2) is still at the top of our list of best gaming headsets, and it's because it still has the best microphone we've ever heard on a headset (and one of the best we've heard not on a headset, too). And it can be yours for just $129.99 at Amazon — that's $70 off the retail price of $199.99.
The BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) still has one of the best microphones we've ever used on a headset. Paired with 50mm Razer Triforce titanium drivers and up to 70 hours of battery life, this ultra-comfortable headset won't let you down. View Deal
This dual-wireless headset doesn't have simultaneous dual-wireless audio, but it does let you switch quickly between its low-latency 2.4GHz wireless connection and its Bluetooth connection (you won't even miss the lack of wired connection, trust me). Its 50mm "Triforce" titanium dynamic drivers sound especially good when gaming, and it comes with several built-in game-ready EQ presets for getting a leg up on the competition in first-person shooters (and it also sounds great in games with immersive, layered audio, thanks to the built-in THX Spatial Audio). And it has a microphone so good, my colleague Andrew said I sounded better over the BlackShark V2 Pro than I did in real life.
Well good morning, it is officially the start of Amazon Prime Day and there are deals aplenty. If you're just waking up in the UK, this MSI GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB has caught my eye. The lowest price we've seen on this listing previously is £309, but Amazon is flogging it this morning for £269. That's the cheapest 5060 Ti in the UK by nearly £50!
Grab an 8GB 5060 Ti with triple cooling fans, 2662 MHz clock speeds, and more. View Deal
As you can see from our testing data, the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB beats out the 9060 XT 16GB in our 19 game 1080p testing suite, and doesn't lag too far behind its 16GB counterpart. Performance is a little softer at 1440p, but this is a very solid entry-level GPU for someone just starting out in PC building, or looking to upgrade from an older GPU or even integrated graphics.
Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR5 kit available for $80 off - the cheapest RAM you can buy
It can sometimes feel like a bit of a downer these days to secure DDR5 memory, especially if you've been around long enough to understand what prices were like before the AI crunch. However, for those of us who absolutely need to build a new rig or would like to upgrade a current system, we have to take what we can get. So, with that in mind, Woot is currently running a promotion on the Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB kit (2x 16GB) priced at $339.99.
After taking a quick look at Amazon, this is around $50 to $70 cheaper than the going rate for other 32GB kits (they're priced at $419.99 direct from Corsair but are currently out of stock). The DDR5-6000 modules come with 38-44-44-96 timings and support AMD Exp and Intel XMP profiles.
This is the cheapest 32GB DDR5 kit you can buy right now, $10 cheaper than the next best option.
This Vengeance RGB DDR memory kit offers good performance and attractive looks. It supports Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO technologies, making setup quick and easy with just one click.View Deal
And as a bonus, if you're into that kind of thing, each module has ten-zone RGB lighting that can be customized with Corsair's iCUE software. — Brandon Hill
9100 Pro SSD price drop
3am Eastern Time yields new discounts, and the Samsung 9100 Pro SSD has just dropped to its lowest price since February. Specifically, the 1TB model is now $206.99, while the 2TB is $349. That's a lot more than you would have paid last year, but as good as it gets for a Gen 5 PCIe SSD on Amazon right now.
Get the 1TB version of the 9100 Pro for $206, around 20 cents per GB. Comes with 236-Layer Samsung TLC (V8) flash memory and is rated for sequential read and write speeds of 14,700 MB/s and 13,300 MB/s, respectively. View Deal
This drive is identical in spec, but its heftier discount means it is 17 cents per GB, so better value if you can stretch to the higher capacity. View Deal
This blitzes nearly every drive on the market in performance testing, and barely lags behind the very fastest drives we've tested. If you want a great SSD for gaming or professional workloads that will deliver snappy load times, this is the drive for you.
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Expand your Nintendo Switch 2 storage
If you need more storage for your Nintendo Switch 2, this P9 Express from Samsung is now half price. With data transfer speeds of up to 800 MB/s, it isn't the fastest drive on the market, but it is definitely one of the cheapest.
This Samsung P9 Express microSD express card offers up to 800 MB/s data transfer speeds and is fully compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2. It also offers features such as Host Memory Buffer (HMB), Dynamic Thermal Guard (DTG), and 6-proof durability. View Deal
As you can see, there are faster drives out there, but a 50% discount makes the value of this drive pretty much unmatched versus its competitors. This is just $7.50 shy of the lowest-ever price we've seen on this drive. It means you can install more games on your Switch without having to uninstall titles and shuffle them around in order to keep playing your games. This card also comes with a generous three-year warranty, whereas most rivals only offer one.
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Grab a 5090 PC
An RTX 5090 GPU will set you back over $4,100 right now, and 64GB of RAM costs more than $700. Or, you can buy this Corsair gaming PC, which features both, plus an Intel i9-14900KF, 2TB SSD, and everything else you need, for just $4,799.
Get a 5090 gaming PC with 64GB of RAM, 2TB SSD, liquid cooler, RGB fans, and Intel i9-14900KF. View Deal
This is an older CPU but more than capable of sustained high-performance gaming, and it shouldn't bottleneck the RTX 5090.
The RTX 5090 is the best GPU for gaming by some measure, and is the ultimate in desktop performance right now. As mentioned, the GPU and RAM alone are worth more in the current inflated pricing economy than this entire PC, which makes this a pretty good deal.
This HyperX bundle pairs one of our favorite headsets with a great keyboard and mouse
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
If you're in the market to replace several of your peripherals — specifically, your headset, keyboard, and mouse, HyperX has some pretty solid deals over on their website right now. You can grab a bundled set of the HyperX Cloud S III Wireless, the HyperX Alloy Rise keyboard, and the HyperX Pulsefire Saga Pro wireless mouse for just $249.99 — 50% off the retail price of $499.99.
This bundle pairs one of our favorite headsets with a wired full-size keyboard that has an impressive typing experience and a wireless lightweight modular mouse. View Deal
The Cloud III S Wireless has been one of our favorite headsets since it debuted — it's ultra comfortable, it sounds great for both music and gaming, and it gets up to 120 hours of battery life, which is more than almost every other wireless gaming headset. It features large over-ear earcups with leatherette-covered padding, angled dynamic drivers, and a detachable boom mic. You can read my full review of the HyperX Cloud III S Wireless here.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The Alloy Rise is an impressive wired mechanical gaming keyboard, though we did find it to be a little overpriced when it first debuted. But it's a great deal in this bundle. It's a full-size keyboard with a hot-swappable PCB, pre-lubed switches, and a gasket-mount structure that makes for an excellent typing experience. It also features a swappable magnetic top case for easy customization, though tops cases are, of course, sold separately. It's a premium keyboard through and through, with double-shot PBT keycaps, bright RGB lighting, and your choice of linear or tactile switches. You can read our full review of the HyperX Alloy Rise here.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Finally, the Pulsefire Saga Pro mouse is a modular wireless mouse with a mild, right-handed contour. It comes with swappable parts — you can swap out the primary buttons, thumb buttons, and back/hump. The box comes with two options for each swappable part, and you can also 3D print your own parts at home. It's fairly lightweight — all modular options end up with the same weight of 2.54 ounces (72g), and it has great-feeling, clicky optical switches in its primary buttons. It sports HyperX's 26K optical sensor, which has a maximum resolution of 26,000 DPI and a maximum speed of 650 IPS and can handle up to 50 G's of force. You can read my full review of the HyperX Pulsefire Saga Pro here.
All in all, this bundle is absolutely worth a look if you even need two of these peripherals — or maybe even if you just need the headset. — Sarah
Arzopa’s 16.1-inch 180Hz 1440p portable monitor is now just $145 for Prime Day
Portable monitors seem to be all the rage these days; in just a few short years, we’ve gone from having little variety to being showered with options across multiple sizes, form factors, and performance categories. If you skew more towards the gaming side of things in your requirements for a portable monitor, the Arzopa Z3FC is available with a solid 19 percent discount, bringing its price to $137.74.
The Arzopa Z3FC is a 16.1-inch class portable monitor with a 1440p resolution and a speedy 180 Hz refresh rateView Deal
Arzopa is well known for producing quality monitors at affordable prices, and the Z3FC is no exception. I tested the monitor earlier this year and came away impressed with its build quality, color performance, and speed. It also helps that it comes with a handy storage sleeve for travel.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The Z3FC has a relatively large 16.1-inch IPS panel, which is just outside the 15.4-inch norm for portable monitors. That extra real estate also comes with a bump in resolution from the typical 1920 x 1080 to 2560 x 1440. Add in the 180 Hz refresh rate, up from the standard 60 Hz on most portable monitors, and you have a great monitor you can pair with your Nintendo Switch on the go, or even an Xbox or PlayStation in a pinch. — Brandon Hill
Razer's budget-friendly Iskur V2 X is even more budget-friendly at $173.59
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
It's rare to find a solid gaming chair for under $400 — let alone half that. While Razer's Iskur V2 X isn't quite as fancy as the pricier Iskur V2, it's still an excellent seat (provided you don't need the adjustable lumbar support). And it's currently on sale for just $173.59 at Amazon, down 42% from its retail price of $299.99 (Amazon lists its price as $249.99, but it retails for $299.99 on Razer's website).
This no-frills gaming chair features built-in non-adjustable lumbar support, 2D armrests, and a full 152-degree recline. View Deal
The Iskur V2 X looks a lot like the Iskur V2, with a bolstered backrest and seat and cloth upholstery that's comfortable during extended use. It features a full 152-degree recline and 2D armrests (adjustable for height and rotatable inward/outward), and a height-adjustable seat. While it doesn't have the adjustable lumbar support of the Iskur V2 or the 4D armrests, our reviewer found it to be just about perfect for his 5'10", 161-pound frame. It's definitely a gaming chair without the frills, but it's comfortable enough to be your daily driver. You can read our full review of the Razer Iskur V2 X here. — Sarah
Get this tri-band Asus Wi-Fi 7 router for just under $200
For those of you in the market for a new wireless router, there are plenty of options. TP-Link seems to be the go-to due to its attractive pricing, but Asus is no slouch in this area either. In fact, the company’s RT-BE92U is currently listed on Amazon at $197.99, which is 21 percent off its MSRP.
The RT-BE92U is a tri-band router (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz) supporting the full Wi-Fi 7 featureset, including Multi-Link Operation (MLO). Additionally, it supports the proprietary Asus AiMesh standard, allowing you to combine multiple compatible devices into a functional mesh network.
The Asus RT-BE92U is a great tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router offering four 2.5 GbE LAN ports and a 10 GbE WAN/LAN port. View Deal
Asus hasn’t forgotten about your wired connections, as the RT-BE92U offers four 2.5 GbE LAN ports (one of which can be used for WAN) and a single 10 GbE LAN/WAN port. It also features a single USB 3.0 port, which can be used for storage or to connect a cellular device for WAN.
Router software is just as important as its hardware, and the RT-BE92U delivers here as well. Not only do you get a full-featured smartphone app, but the traditional desktop-based webGUI is also feature-rich. There are many customizations available, and plenty of tweaks to get the most out of your network. — Brandon Hill
Hoto’s handheld vacuum cleaner also functions as an air duster, and is a great desk-side companion for keeping things tidy
While it’s arguably a compact cordless vacuum first, Hoto calls this handy desk-side gadget a Compressed Air Canister, and that’s more apt, because it functions both as an air duster and a vacuum, making it a handy rechargeable device that I’ve kept near my desk for the past year or so. And right now, it’s 25% off for Amazon for Prime Day.
This combination air duster and vacuum is great for cleaning out things and cleaning up small messes. It’s rated to 500 L/min air output and up to 15,000Pa suction, comes with several handy attachments and, like most similar devices, will run for about 10 minutes at full speed before needing a recharge over USB-C View Deal
I’ve used the Hoto’s vacuum feature dozens of times, mostly to clean up small messes like dropped bits of salad around my desk. Its dirt canister is pretty small, so don’t expect it to be super useful for larger tasks like cleaning out a car or collecting larger piles of debris, but it’s helpful for keeping your desk space tidy.
Likewise, if you remove the vacuum attachments, spin it around, and add one of the nozzles on the other end, it’s great at blowing dust and debris out of keyboards, the insides of PC cases, or other tasks you might typically use canned air to tackle. Whichever way you use it, this device from Hoto delivers a useful amount of air movement. It’s not as compact as some dedicated rechargeable blowers, but it’s still compact, about the size of a tall drink can, with a slimmer circumference.
It is, of course, taller with its attachments, and my main complaint is that Hoto doesn’t give you anything to keep track of the attachments, so I often have to spend time hunting them down when I need something that isn’t already connected to the device. But if you have a 3D printer, you can solve that problem yourself with one of these handy designs. — Matt Safford
This tiny, magnetic, USB-charging flashlight is great for PC building, and down to under $12
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
I bought the Olight IMINI 2 mini flashlight last year on impulse; it looked well-designed and cost around $20, but now it's on sale for less than $12 for Prime Day. Its simple design and built-in USB plug for charging make it fun to use – you just pull the USB-A port back off and it turns on. The magnet at the back lets you easily mount it lots of places where you need a little extra light. I've used it inside a steel PC case while fiddling with RGB wires on more than one occasion. I own the red model, but there are several other color options available for the same price.
At just 2.17 inches long, this flashlight is rated to 50 lumens, and it sports a magnetic back with a USB-A plug for charging. Pulling the back off turns on the flashlight, and the magnetic back makes it easy to mount the light on anything with ferrous metal.View Deal
The Olight IMINI 2 is small enough for your keychain and designed to live with your keys. Olight includes two silicone covers for the USB port and a little carabiner clip. But the flashlight portion is only held to the charging port via a magnet, and I feel like (for me, at least) it would fall off and get lost before too long. I usually keep mine in an interior pocket of my backpack, since it weights next to nothing.
Get RTX 5060 Ti power for less than an RTX 5060 with these deals
Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB has always been the odd duck of the Blackwell family. Its relatively powerful GPU isn't well-matched to its 8GB of VRAM, so its $379 MSRP has always been awkward.
But Prime Day season is the perfect time to fix that. Newegg is deeply discounting many 5060 Ti 8GB cards, making some of them even cheaper than the slower RTX 5060. So if you were already pondering a 1080p raster gaming upgrade, you may as well get the 5060 Ti 8GB's extra performance for the same or less money.
Get MSI's RTX 5060 Ti 8GB Ventus 2X OC Plus for less than the cheapest RTX 5060 out there and enjoy more performance for your money. Grab the on-page promo code with your Newegg account and redeem the mail-in rebate for the full discount.View Deal
MSI's Ventus 2X OC 5060 Ti 8GB is just $309.99 after promo code and a $20 rebate card, making it cheaper than even the cheapest RTX 5060 right now. You'll need to have a Newegg account, be logged in, and click the on-page link to get the $80 off promo code, and you'll need to download, fill out, and redeem the $20 mail-in rebate card separately. But if you can deal with that friction, you'll get the absolute best bang-for the-buck for 1080p raster gaming right now.
If you'd like a bigger, quieter cooler, this triple-fan RTX 5060 Ti 8GB gets you there for $20 more than the dual-fan model above. Grab the on-page promo code with your Newegg account and enjoy. View Deal
If you'd like a bigger, quieter cooler, the MSI Ventus 3X RTX 5060 Ti 8GB also has a $50 on-page promo code available, knocking its price down to $329.99. While it's slightly more expensive than the dual-fan model above, you may prefer its bigger, quieter cooler for a few extra bucks. And it's still cheaper than even the cheapest 5060 out there.
If the MSI cards above sell out, you can get this Zotac RTX 5060 Ti 8GB for the same low price. View Deal
And if the MSI cards above sell out, you can also get $50 off Zotac's Twin Edge RTX 5060 Ti 8GB with an on-page promo code. This compact card has a stealthy black-and-copper color scheme that may suit your tastes better than the silver-and-black scheme of the MSI Ventus cards above.
No matter which one of these 5060 Ti 8GBs you choose, you'll get performance 13% faster than the plain RTX 5060 at 1080p across our raster tests, all for less money than even the cheapest 5060. And all Blackwell cards give you access to leading DLSS 4.5 upscaling and MFG for extra performance tuning flexibility. The price for these cards is finally right. -- Jeff Kampman
Score an Intel Core Ultra 270K Plus processor for only $264.99
Intel’s latest processor, the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, is now on sale for Prime Day 2026. Get your hands on their flagship-class processor for only $264.99 (26% off), the cheapest it's been since launch. We reviewed this CPU and loved its chart-topping application performance and the price compared to the previous flagship.
Get Intel's latest and greatest processor, the 270K Plus, at an all-time low price. The 8p/16e core processor has plenty of oomph to plow through any workflow and games well, too.View Deal
The 270K Plus has a total of 24 cores and 24 threads, split into the familiar 8P/16E-cores configuration, just like the flagship 285K. P-cores run up to 5.4 GHz while the more efficient E-cores peak at 4.7 GHz. As you can see from the benchmarks below, it does a great job in applications and productivity-type work and has improved in games, but still falls a bit behind in low-resolution gaming compared to the X3D processors.
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If you’re in the market for a new processor, Intel’s Arrow Lake refresh is a worthwhile option, especially if 1080p gaming isn’t your focus. The sheer core and thread count, along with single-threaded speeds, allow 270K Plus to chew through anything you throw at it. If you need a motherboard, the ASRock Z890 Taichi (a flagship-class motherboard) is on sale for an incredibly low price of $199.99 (from $459.99). Or if that board doesn’t tickle your fancy, we found several awesome deals on motherboards, too. - Joe Shields
New lowest-ever price on Acer Predator Helios
If you're in the market for a decent gaming laptop, this Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI gaming laptop has just fallen to its lowest-ever price on Amazon. 19% off, you get an Nvidia RTX 5070 Ri, Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 2TB SSD for $2,274.99.
Get a 2TB laptop with 32GB of RAM, RTX 5070 Ti GPU, Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, and an 18-inch display with a 240Hz refresh rate. View Deal
While we haven't tested this specific model, the RTX 5070 Ti, based on our testing of similar laptops, is good for smooth gameplay at 2560 x 1600 resolution, supported by the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, a high-end Arrow Lake CPU with 24 total cores (8 P-cores/ 16 E-cores).
This 142-piece precision screwdriver set is just $22
This 142-bit toolset can be used to repair literally anything you can think of. It comes with 120 screwdriver bits and a further 22 accessories, such as a magnetizer, magnetic mats, tweezers, cleaning brushes, and more.
All the bits you will ever need to cosplay as an IT superhero. Take old consoles apart, fix laptops, remove SIM cards from smartphones, and pry open devices to learn their secrets!View Deal
The driver itself comes with both an extendable shaft and a flexible option for awkward screws, and each bit is magnetic, so you don't run the risk of dropping a screw. This is perfect for avid PC builders, DIYers, tinkerers, and more, and at just $24 would make a great gift.
Intel's fastest gaming CPU is down to its lowest price ever for Prime Day
Intel’s fastest gaming CPU is still the Core i9-14900K, and it’s down to an all-time low price on Prime Day. The CPU is technically only 17% off, dropping from $468.97 to $389.99. However, the chip hovered above $450 for most of this year, and it sold almost exclusively above $500 before that point.
The Intel Core i9-14900K is a fully overclocked 24-core processor comes with eight performance and 16 efficiency cores, and is still one of the best Intel options if you're looking for a new gaming CPU. View Deal
Despite the newer Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, the Core i9-14900K still earns the crown as Intel’s fastest gaming CPU, at least when paired with DDR5 memory. The Core i9-14900K supports DDR4 and DDR5, though DDR4 represents a performance loss around 10% in games.
(Image credit: Future)
You can use the Core i9-14900K with LGA 1700 motherboards sporting a 600- or 700-series chipset. Note that it’s an unlocked SKU, so you’ll ideally pair the CPU with a Z-series chipset to unlock full CPU overclocking. — Jake Roach
AMD's Ryzen 7 7700X drops to new all-time low of $200, saving you 50% off list price
The Ryzen 7 7700X is down to an all-time low for Prime Day, selling for 50% off. That brings its $399 list price down to just $199.99, which is an excellent deal on an eight-core / 16-thread part on the AM5 socket. We’ve previously seen the CPU drop down to around $220, and it’s sold for above $250 for most of this year.
Get eight cores of performance with a 3.8GHz base clock and 5.4 GHz boost, along with 40MB cache.View Deal
Despite being a last-gen chip, the Ryzen 7 7700X is still impressive. It’s only 4.5% behind Intel’s new Core Ultra 5 250K Plus in games, and it manages to match the newer Ryzen 5 9600X; and with the current sale, the Ryzen 7 7700X is around the same price. In applications, the Ryzen 7 7700X actually matches the base Ryzen 7 9700X in multithreaded performance (though the newer part takes the lead with its higher TDP mode).
The Ryzen 7 7700X slots into existing AM5 motherboards with a 600- or 800-series chipset, though double-check your BIOS compatibility. It exclusively uses DDR5 memory, though AMD says it will support AM5 through 2029, so you’ll likely get at least one more upgrade on the platform. — Jake Roach
Get 12 cores of Zen 4 power with the Ryzen 9 7900X for under $300
Although it’s not an all-time low, the Ryzen 9 7900X is cheap right now. You can grab it for $289.73 from Amazon, which is 47% off its list price of $549. We’ve previously seen the CPU drop briefly to $288 once before, so this isn’t technically an all-time low. I’m not splitting hairs over an extra dollar, though.
The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a step-down version of the Ryzen 9 7950X, but it remains a powerful CPU. It features 12 cores and 24 threads along with a base clock of 4.7 GHz that can boost up to 5.6 GHz. It also comes with 76MB of cache, a TDP of 170W, and drops into the modern AM5 platform.
The Ryzen 9 7900X features 12 cores and 24 threads, split across two CCDs. That split means it’s actually a touch slower than the Ryzen 7 7700X in games, though not by a meaningful margin. The chip earns back its stripes in multithreaded performance, where the extra cores step in to do some heavy lifting.
You can slot the Ryzen 9 7900X in existing AM5 motherboards with a 600- or 800-series chipset, though make sure you have the latest BIOS. The chip is fully unlocked for overclocking, which you can take advantage of on B-series and X-series chipsets. — Jake Roach
Intel's fastest gaming CPU is down to its lowest price ever for Prime Day
Intel’s fastest gaming CPU is still the Core i9-14900K, and it’s down to an all-time low price on Prime Day. The CPU is technically only 17% off, dropping from $468.97 to $389.99. However, the chip hovered above $450 for most of this year, and it sold almost exclusively above $500 before that point.
The Intel Core i9-14900K is a fully overclocked 24-core processor comes with eight performance and 16 efficiency cores, and is still one of the best Intel options if you're looking for a new gaming CPU. View Deal
Despite the newer Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, the Core i9-14900K still earns the crown as Intel’s fastest gaming CPU, at least when paired with DDR5 memory. The Core i9-14900K supports DDR4 and DDR5, though DDR4 represents a performance loss around 10% in games.
(Image credit: Future)
You can use the Core i9-14900K with LGA 1700 motherboards sporting a 600- or 700-series chipset. Note that it’s an unlocked SKU, so you’ll ideally pair the CPU with a Z-series chipset to unlock full CPU overclocking. — Jake Roach
You won't believe it, but this 4TB Samsung SSD is 63% off, only $499 while supplies last!
I quite literally cannot believe that the Samsung 9200 Pro SSD is now marked down at 63% off, a savings of $860 over its normal price, now retailing at $499 at B&H Photo with an in-cart coupon.
This is a top-tier PCIe 5.0 SSD that blasts out 14,800 / 13,400 MB/s of sequential read/write throughput, and 2.2 / 2.6 million random read/write IOPS. Grab this one fast! — Paul Alcorn
This is an insane deal with the in-cart coupon added — grab it while it's hot!
This 4TB SSD features the PCie 5.0 interface and blasts out 14,800 / 13,400 MB/s of sequential read/write throughput, delivering top-tier performance within a reasonable power envelope that doesn't require bulky heatsinks. View Deal
Building a mini-ITX gaming PC today can burn a serious hole in your wallet, primarily due to the premium pricing on ITX motherboards, SFX power supplies, and small-form-factor cases. Moreover, the ongoing AI boom has led to a sharp increase in price for memory, storage, and graphics cards. The best way to dodge this premium today is to invest in a prebuilt such as this Cooler Master NR2 Pro mini-ITX gaming PC from Newegg for $2,799.99, down from its original price of $3,199.99.
As an added bonus, customers also get a free copy of Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight worth $69.99 and a one-year subscription to the NordVPN Plus Bundle worth $84.99.
The compact PC is built inside the Cooler Master NR200P Max case offering a volume of just 18.25L, which is roughly the size of a large shoebox. The case comes with a Cooler Master 280mm AIO liquid cooling solution while power is delivered via an 850W 80+ Gold SFX power supply. Powering the system is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F processor which features 20 cores, 20 threads, and max boost clock speeds of up to 5.3 GHz. The motherboard is a Gigabyte B860I Aorus Pro Ice with 32GB (2x16GB) of DDR5 6000 MT/s RGB RAM.
The Cooler Master NR2 Pro squeezes an RTX 5080, Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 2TB SSD into an 18.25L chassis. View Deal
For storage, the system comes with a 2TB Gen 4.0 M.2 SSD while the motherboard includes an additional M.2 slot in case you want to add more capacity in the future. As for the graphics card, the prebuilt includes an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 from Gigabyte with 16GB of GDDR7 memory and enough grunt to handle 4K gaming. The listing also mentions the option of a glass or mesh side panel along with modern connectivity options including Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and 2.5 gigabit Ethernet.
The Cooler Master NR2 Pro prebuilt offers a convenient way to avoid the mini-ITX premium as well as the painful process of bringing it all together. At its discounted price of $2,799.99, it is a recommended option for gamers who are looking for a powerful yet compact prebuilt without the hassle and expense of building a comparable mini-ITX system.
While it’s nice to have several full-sized displays to ensure that every app you need is available at a glance, there are times that you simply do not have the table space to host three ultrawide monitors on desk. Corsair lets you solve this with the Xeneon Edge 14.5-inch LCD touchscreen, which is now available on sale at $199.99 on the Corsair website. That’s $50 off the $249.99 retail price, giving you a 20% discount ahead of Prime Day.
This tiny touchscreen is designed to either sit below your monitor with the included magnetic stand or to be mounted horizontally or vertically on any metal surface with its magnetic backplate. It also supports HDMI and USB-C DP-Alt Mode connections, allowing you to use it both with your laptop and desktop PC.
The Corsair Xeneon Edge is a 14.5-inch display designed to serve as an extension for your desktop and give you a small screen to host your most important apps. Its versatility means you can mount it practically anywhere — horizontally under your main monitor, vertically beside your primary display, or as a digital status panel inside your PC case.View Deal
Despite its small size, it has a relatively high-resolution of 2560 x 720 and a 60Hz refresh rate — it might not match the specs of the best gaming monitors, but these numbers are more than enough to show apps and additional information that will streamline your workflow. Aside from displaying your miscellaneous apps and tools (like Spotify or YouTube), Corsair also designed the screen to be paired with iCUE software to monitor your fan speed, CPU, and GPU utilization, and more, right in front of you (or beside you if you prefer to stick the screen in your case).
This tiny touchscreen is designed to either sit below your monitor with the included magnetic stand or to be mounted horizontally or vertically on any metal surface with its magnetic backplate. It also supports HDMI and USB-C DP-Alt Mode connections, allowing you to use it both with your laptop and desktop PC.
Despite its small size, it has a relatively high-resolution of 2560 x 720 and a 60Hz refresh rate — it might not match the specs of the best gaming monitors, but these numbers are more than enough to show apps and additional information that will streamline your workflow. Aside from displaying your miscellaneous apps and tools (like Spotify or YouTube), Corsair also designed the screen to be paired with iCUE software to monitor your fan speed, CPU and GPU utilization, and more, right in front of you (or beside you if you prefer to stick the screen in your case).
Some of the use cases that Corsair showed include a media control center, a dedicated voice communication screen through Discord, and a screen mounted vertically on the side of a monitor so that you can see the comments on your stream while your game is on full screen. The company also says that it uses an AHVA panel, helping ensure that you get the widest viewing angles — a crucial feature for a screen designed to be placed at an angle to the user. And because it’s a touch screen, you can also configure it to become a virtual Stream Deck to help you become more efficient in everything that you do on your PC.
A few people might argue that you should just get one of the best budget 4K monitors or best portable monitors if you’re really intent on getting more screen real estate. But if tabletop space is at a premium for your desktop PC, this might just give you the best of both worlds. It’s also a great accessory for those who simply want to build the best battle station, and you can get the Xeneon Edge straight from Corsair at just $199.99.
The world is getting warmer every year due to worsening climate change. If you live in certain parts of the world affected by El Nino, you're likely seeing your devices overheat right now if you live without an air conditioner. So, what if you could devise a solution to keep your computer cool regardless of ambient temps? That's precisely what YouTuber TrashBench did by altering a standard countertop ice machine to work as a GPU cooler.
The YouTuber began by disassembling an RTX 3060; he removed the stock cooler and mounted a custom retention frame over the die to fit the liquid-cooling tubes. He then put a submersible water pump inside the ice machine and simply filled it up with water to create the loop. The hot water from the GPU falls into the bucket where it should be cooled before being looped back to the card.
Just for the sake of it, the modder tested the GPU without turning the ice machine on and it actually achieved around 44°C in benchmarks. The temperature wouldn't stabilize because nothing is cooling the water, so he turns on the machine, and the temps actually fall by more than 10 degrees. However, the GPU is heating up faster than the water can cool it down because the ice machine is on a fixed clock cycle.
Basically, the compressor only runs for a few seconds at a time before turning back off once the ice has been discharged into the water. This interval is controlled by a thermostat that can't be adjusted, so it was time to rip it out entirely and replace it with another one. TrashBench luckily had another one that will bypass the internal logic and force the compressor to stay on perpetually.
But just running the compressor longer doesn't result in better cooling. The evaporator coils are responsible for facilitating the heat exchange and they weren't submerged enough in the water. To fix this, the YouTuber simply put a small plastic bowl under the coils to the point they were completely drowned. Hot water coming from the GPU will now hit the evaporator, which helps improve the cooling efficiency, while the new thermostat ensures the compressor doesn't turn off.
Once everything was ready, TrashBench ran the numbers once again and the results were a success, to say the least. Before the modding began, the RTX 3060 was reaching around 60°C in Cyberpunk 2077. Now, it was casually chilling at 22-23°C, and it was stable. The GPU hot spot was sitting at 75°C before, while the modified ice machine brought it all the way down to just 34°C.
There were some leaks in the middle that the YouTuber dealt with, and the entire modding process was a bit too involved for a quick and fun experiment. Not to mention, messing with the internal componentry of an electrical device that's carrying water isn't exactly the safest thing to do. Still, the results speak for themselves, and we can only wonder how far you could take this RTX 3060 now with extreme overclocking.
NVK, the community-built open-source Vulkan driver for Nvidia GPUs in Mesa, has gained experimental DLSS support, with the code landing in Mesa 26.2-devel, as reported by Phoronix. The driver doesn’t reimplement the upscaler but instead loads Nvidia's own pre-compiled CUDA binaries and runs them, a workaround that keeps the feature behind an experimental flag and ties it to whether compatible bytecode exists for a given card. Nvidia's proprietary Linux driver has of course handled DLSS for years, so the change closes one of the bigger gaps between the closed driver and its open-source counterpart, rather than bringing the technology to Linux for the first time.
DLSS runs on NVK through VK_NVX_binary_import, a Vulkan extension that lets an application load Nvidia CuBIN files, the pre-baked CUDA binaries Nvidia, and loads them on the GPU. Autumn Ashton opened the original pull request for the extension last year, and Thomas Andersen revived it roughly two months ago to clear merge conflicts and finish the work, with the path sitting behind the NVK_EXPERIMENTAL=dlss environment variable because known bugs remain.
The catch is the reliance on pre-compiled binaries; NVK can only run DLSS where compatible bytecode already exists for the GPU in use. The proprietary Nvidia driver avoids that limit with a route that compiles PTX, Nvidia's intermediate assembly, down to GPU bytecode at runtime. NVK has no equivalent, because it can’t translate Nvidia PTX into NIR, which is the intermediate representation Mesa drivers compile from.
Support for DLSS across the broader Linux graphics stack has been uneven, to say the least. As of late last year, Nvidia's DLSS 4 was still unsupported in Valve's VKD3D-Proton translation layer, which converts DirectX 12 calls to Vulkan for games running through Proton.
NVK began in 2022 as a from-scratch Vulkan driver led by Collabora's Faith Ekstrand alongside Karol Herbst and Dave Airlie at Red Hat, and it supports Turing (RTX 20-series and GTX 16-series) and newer architectures. In late 2024, it became the first open-source Vulkan driver for Nvidia hardware to pass Khronos conformance, reaching Vulkan 1.4 provisional spec. It runs on the Nouveau kernel driver and is separate from Nvidia's own open-source kernel modules, which the company ships with its proprietary user-space software stack.
At the XDC2025 conference in November, Ekstrand said NVK runs at around 50% of the official Nvidia driver's speed in many titles, that ray tracing is still in progress, and that the team is "barely keeping the lights on" with current developer resources, according to Phoronix.
69-year-old Claude Guillemot, who founded Ubisoft alongside his four brothers, died on Friday, June 19, after his private twin-engine Cessna 421 crashed on approach to La Baule-Escoublac Airport in France, near the country’s Atlantic coast. Le Parisien said that Ubisoft has confirmed the passing of one of its founders in the accident.
“Ubisoft was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Claude Guillemot, co-founder of the group and chairman of Guillemot Corp, in an accident,” the company said. “Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. No further statements will be made at this time.”
Claude and his brothers founded Ubisoft in 1986 when they established the business by importing and distributing games in the country. It was also during that same year that it launched its first game, Zombi. In 1989, the startup was already making millions of dollars in sales and revenue, but it made its first globally successful original title, the platformer Rayman, in 1995. This allowed the company to go public in 1996, when it raised $80 million in its IPO.
Its successful public debut injected enough cash for it to open studios across the world, including Canada, China, and Japan. From humble beginnings, the company grew into one of the biggest names in gaming and entertainment, owning some of the most popular gaming titles and franchises in the past and present like Assassin’s Creed, Brothers in Arms, Far Cry, Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, Prince of Persia, The Division, and Watch Dogs, among others.
Despite its success, Ubisoft has recently been facing some troubles. This includes a major cyberattack on its servers which forced the company to take Rainbow Six Siege completely offline as well as issues with generative AI in Far Cry 7, with one insider saying that it “looks like s**t.”
The Guillemot brothers no longer own 100% of Ubisoft, although they still own a considerable stake. According to Investing.com, Guillemot Brothers S.A., a holding company that manages the brothers’ stake in Ubisoft, is still the largest shareholder with 12.27%, while institutional bank JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the second largest shareholder with 9.94%. Chinese gaming company Tencent Holdings Limited owns 9.46% of the company, with the rest spread out across different mutual funds and ETF, retail investors, and other institutional investors.
Claude Guillemot was the president of the Guillemot Corporation (different from the Guillemot Brothers S.A.), which was the original company founded in 1986 and still owns brands like digital audio solutions provider Hercules, DJ equipment maker Djuced, and gaming accessories manufacturer Thrustmaster. His younger brother, Yves Guillemot, still serves as the CEO of Ubisoft.
Aside from helping build one of Europe’s largest gaming empires, reports say that Claude also holds a pilot’s license and was an avid and experienced pilot. He was en route to the airport near the accident site for a planned air show this weekend when the tragedy struck. Alongside the Ubisoft co-founder, a 70-year-old flight instructor was also killed in the accident.
Officials haven’t made any statements yet regarding the cause of the accident. It will likely take months, if not years, before we get a comprehensive accident report from the Bureau d'enquêtes et d'analyses pour la sécurité de l'aviation civile (BEA), the French equivalent of the U.S. NTSB, tasked with investigating aircraft accidents.
Pricing for the best gaming monitors has generally been trending downward, particularly the 1440p high-refresh segment which continues to be the sweet spot for most gamers. Take for instance the Samsung Odyssey G5 G55C curved gaming monitor. Originally launched at $349.99, it is now available at its lowest-ever price of $189.99 on Amazon just days ahead of Prime Day, representing a discount of roughly 46%.
The Samsung Odyssey G5 G55C gaming monitor offers a 32-inch 1000R curved VA panel offering a 165 Hz refresh rate and 1440p QHD resolution. This monitor is suitable for gamers with mid-range systems, especially if they are looking for a curved screen for increased immersion. It is also HDR10-compliant, which should result in vivid colors, although the peak brightness levels are limited to 300 nits.
The Samsung Odyssey G55C is a 32-inch curved gaming monitor with 1440p resolution and a 165 Hz refresh rate. It also offers AMD FreeSync and is HDR 10-compliant, giving you maximum immersion.View Deal
The Samsung Odyssey G5 G55C gaming monitor offers a 32-inch 1000R curved VA panel offering a 165 Hz refresh rate and 1440p QHD resolution. This monitor is suitable for gamers with mid-range systems especially if you are looking for a curved screen for increased immersion. It is also HDR10-compliant, which should result in vivid colors, although the peak brightness levels are limited to 300 nits.
The 1ms MPRT response time achieved using backlight strobing, should help in reducing any sort of blurring while support for AMD FreeSync should ensure that the monitor and GPU stay in sync for a smooth and tear-free experience. In terms of connectivity, the monitor comes with HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2 inputs allowing one to connect more than one device. There are no inbuilt speakers, however, the 3.5mm audio jack allows you to plug in headphones or external speakers.
At its discounted price of $189.99, the Samsung Odyssey G5 G55C offers compelling value. It may not offer the best color accuracy or HDR performance when compared to IPS or OLED displays, but it is definitely worth considering for gamers who are looking to step up from a 1080p monitor. With Prime Day just around the corner, it may be worth keeping an eye on similar deals, although this discount already represents solid value for anyone planning a gaming monitor upgrade.
The Royal Kludge RK R65 is one of our picks for best budget mechanical keyboards thanks to its stand-out feature set and excellent sound and feel for the price, which normally ranges from $50-$60. But today at Amazon, you can pick up this compact 60% clacker for just $44.99 if you clip the $10 digital coupon.
The RK R65's feature set reads like something that costs at least twice as much. The wired keyboard boasts RGB backlighting, factory-lubed switches (RK Cream in this variant), a gasket mount, two silicone pads to absorb stound, and (somewhat) metal volume knob. The result is the best-sounding budget keyboard I've ever used — so much so that I've been using it as my daily driver in the office for over a year, despite the lack of a Function row and other handy keys.
The RK R65 is an excellent budget 60% wired keybaord, with RGB, swappable factory-lubed linear switches, a gasket mount and silicone pads, QMK/VIA support for customizing keys, and a metal volume knob. This is by far one of the nicest-sounding and nicest-looking keyboards I've used in this price range.View Deal
Of course, the 60% layout is best-suited to gaming, and it works quite well for that. But with its dedicated arrow keys, I can also get by using it for productivity. And if you don't like the bronze-and-brown color scheme of this model, there are four other color and switch options that are currently priced between $48 and $50.
Keep in mind, as much as this keyboard delivers excellent features for the price, Royal Kludge had to cut corners somewhere. The chassis is basically all plastic save for the knob, which is also partially plastic. So don't expect a weighty, premium-feeling shell. Still, if you consider the price — especially when it's on sale, as it is today — this is a whole lot of keyboard for something that falls decidedly into the budget range.
It is also probably the best-sounding keyboard I've ever used that didn't cost well more than $100. So much so that, while I have several other keyboard options, I plan to keep using the RK R65 at work for the foreseeable future.
Mini PC specialist GMKtec recently launched the EVO-X3, heralding it as a “next-gen AI workstation,” with early access registration beginning tomorrow (Monday, June 22). The firm also took to social media this weekend to show that the successor to the GMKtec EVO-X2, which we reviewed in February, had earned AMD CEO Lisa Su’s signature of approval. This is not entirely surprising, as so did the X2. So, let’s take a closer look at the new GMKtec EVO-X3.
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Actually, the tech specs of the EVO-X3 aren’t very different from its predecessor. We can say with certainty that its design has been thoroughly revamped, though. Look at the difference between the generations. This is a good thing, as most of our reviewers ‘Cons’ regarding the EVO-X2 were drawn from its design and build. Specifically we grumbled about the cheap-feeling case, tricky internal access, and fan noise. A smart redesign would have addressed all these points, but we’d have to get some hands-on time with the new revision to be sure it delivers more than a cosmetic change.
The new GMKtec EVO-X3 is again built around the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 'Strix Halo' processor. Interestingly, a switch to the Ryzen AI Max+ 495 'Gorgon Halo' must have been deemed counterproductive. Many tech enthusiasts were underwhelmed by the AMD Ryzen AI 400 series refresh, too. We also know there are two launch configurations, both with 128GB of LPDDR5X-8000 RAM, but one having a 2TB SSD, the other 4TB. The machine is advertised as featuring two M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 slots for up to 8TB of SSD storage.
As hinted above, the big change between generations appears to be in the build. GMKtec now boasts of the “silent triple fan thermal system” which makes the whole unit somewhat like a triple fan graphics card in a steel wrapper. GMKtec says that “The system is engineered to balance performance, efficiency, and thermal stability, making it suitable for continuous professional workloads across AI and creative scenarios.”
For ports, we note the EVO-X3 packs in an OCuLink connector, USB4 for data, power delivery and video out, and HDMI 2.1 video out. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 are also on board. There are also a few USB-A ports, an Ethernet jack, and a headset jack.
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Prices up, a lot
The GMKtec EVO-X2 launched at $1,499 as tested with 64GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Today, EVO-X2 machines with this configuration are currently being sold for $1,999 on Amazon.com. However, the GMKtec EVO-X3 entry price is far steeper, admittedly with more RAM and storage. It is advertising the 128GB RAM and 2TB SSD version at $3,600, and the 128GB RAM plus 4TB storage version at $3,849. Both of those are said to be pre-launch discounted prices. Signing up for the early access registration can get you an additional $20 off those marked-down prices.
GMKtec told us that the pre-launch is live tomorrow, with purchased units being sent out from July 6.
The Bank of Korea has named performance bonuses at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix as a risk to the country's inflationary stability, warning in a price-stability report on June 17th that payouts worth several hundred thousand dollars per worker could push wages higher across the wider economy. The central bank found that special pay in the IT sector increased by 60.6% year over year in the first quarter, while wage growth elsewhere ran at just 2.1%, a gap wide enough that two chipmakers are now featured in national monetary policy. The bank held its benchmark rate at 2.50% in May and projects full-year inflation of 2.7%, above its 2% target.
SK hynix agreed last September to set aside 10% of its operating profit for worker bonuses, and Samsung committed 10.5% of its semiconductor operating profit after its union threatened an 18-day strike in May. These figures mean that a memory worker on a base salary of 80 million won ($52,400) stands to collect roughly 626 million won ($410,000) this year, while SK hynix staff could receive more than 700 million won ($454,851) if the company reaches 250 trillion won in annual profit. SK workers could see close to $900,000 next year on top of this year's haul.
In its price-stability report, the Bank of Korea modeled how concentrated payouts move prices. When the share of firms paying top-10% bonuses rises, consumer prices climb 0.05 percentage points roughly five months later, a lag effect that broad, even wage increases don’t produce.
Governor Shin Hyun-song has said that consumer prices should stay on a high upward path, with second-half headline inflation near 3%. The bonuses have already spilled into other areas, with labor groups citing them in next year's minimum wage talks, and card spending has risen fastest in the Gyeonggi Province districts around the two firms' fabs, where luxury sales have surged.
The payouts can of course be traced back directly to the AI-driven memory supercycle that has sent DRAM and NAND contract prices climbing through 2025 and 2026. HBM demand for AI accelerators has handed Samsung and SK hynix record operating profits, with profit-linked bonus deals converting that windfall for the companies into bags of cash for workers in the companies’ microchip divisions.
Senior South Korean policymaker Kim Yong-beom spooked markets last month when he floated the idea of a “national dividend” in a Facebook post, writing that gains from the AI infrastructure era were built on an industrial foundation the entire nation accumulated over half a century. Seoul officials later said it had no such plans, however.
Dr. James Ries, the founder of Twenty Mile Medical, proudly proclaims that he’s a Razer Naga V2 Pro user. The most surprising thing about this tidbit is that he uses it while seeing patients remotely. Before you get your pitchforks out, no, the doctor isn’t playing World of Warcraft while evaluating a patient — instead, he uses it to simplify his and the rest of his team’s workflow. Dr. Ries mentioned this interesting piece of trivia during TextExpander’s interview with the healthcare provider, where he showed how he used the service to standardize patient care, reduce the cognitive burden on medical professionals, and quickly write more accurate clinical notes.
Doctor fatigue is one of the biggest issues that telehealth faces today. “Discharge instructions going out at 8 am from a fresh provider look nothing like the ones going out at 4 pm from the same provider after eight hours of visits,” TextExpander said. Dr. Ries said that he addressed this by using master Snippets (a snippet is a short text command, like “;sig” that would run a programmable command, like inserting your signature).
Instead of typing out a fixed phrase, sentence, or paragraph, which is what TextExpander is usually used for, the shortcuts he created bring up the relevant clinical scenario and give options to select appropriate responses as needed. He’d have snippets for general patient communication, sinus infections, psych refills, and more, and then there are check boxes that he can click in each master snippet to ask questions, add instructions, write prescriptions, and more.
Each master Snippet has its specific command, and this is where Dr. Riesa’s Razer Naga V2 Pro comes in. Instead of having to memorize the commands needed to launch the workflow, he assigned them to the customizable buttons that sit on his right thumb. He also assigned other buttons to insert his most commonly used typed paragraphs, like his intro paragraph and signature. You might think that this is excessive — after all, you’re only saving a few seconds by typing four characters instead of pressing one button. But even if that is true, you’ll save a lot of time if you use the shortcut often enough.
More than saving time, it also reduces the cognitive load on doctors. Decision fatigue is a real phenomenon across industries and professions, where people make bad calls not because they’re poorly trained or careless, but simply because they’re tired. Combining the text shortcut with the macro keypad on the mouse helps reduce this, as you don’t even have to lift your hand off the mouse to launch the master Snippet.
Dr. Ries says that the functionality isn’t limited to gaming mice — you can also use a macro pad like the Stream Deck Neo to assign commands and shortcuts, too. Nevertheless, he still prefers the Razer Naga V2 Pro because he doesn’t have to lift his hand off the peripheral to insert what he needs.
Watch the video below to see how the doctor uses his gaming mouse for productivity.
The Creality Falcon T1 is a galvanometer laser engraver that can swap between different laser modules for specific applications. With diode and fiber lasers for general engraving, a UV laser for creating 3D shapes in crystal, and a MOPA laser for adding color, the Falcon T1 is well-equipped on paper for most engraving tasks. The 175 x 175 mm engraving area and optional conveyor belt allow users to engrave small objects one at a time or in a large batch, and the optional rotary attachment can be used for tumblers, rings, and other cylindrical objects.
The Falcon T1 is at the higher end of Creality’s Falcon line of laser engravers, with the base model equipped with the 20W diode laser listed at $2,249 and the additional modules ranging between $989 and $3,059 each. As of the writing of this review, buying the Falcon T1 with the 20W diode laser module and adding all the additional modules would add up to $9,895 without any accessories such as the air filter, conveyor belt, or rotary attachment.
Creality shipped the Falcon T1 with three laser modules for testing: the 40W diode, the 20W fiber, and the 5W UV. The MOPA laser was not available, and I wasn’t able to use it during testing. Creality indicated the UV module will have a retail launch in late July or early August, with the MOPA laser launching approximately one month after the UV module. This staggered rollout makes the Falcon T1 a risky day-one purchase if either the UV or MOPA module is critical to your workflow. The Falcon T1 has clear potential, but the overall experience I had during testing was that of a beta tester.
I ran into software issues, waited for parts to be delivered, and even had to schedule a 10 PM video call with Creality’s China-based support team due to the lack of US-based technical support. This level of support may be acceptable on a lower-cost hobby machine, but it’s harder to overlook considering a fully loaded Falcon T1 can cost over five figures.
Specifications of Creality Falcon T1
Machine Footprint
18.27 x 12.28 x 19.80 inches (464mm x 312mm x 503mm)
Engraving Size
6.89 x 6.89 inches (175mm x 175mm)
Laser Type
Diode
Diode
Fiber
UV
MOPA
Laser Power
20W
40W
20W
5W
60W
Laser Spot Size
0.12 mm x 0.14 mm
0.14 mm x 0.18 mm
0.05 mm
0.014 mm
0.05 mm
Laser Wavelength
445 nm +/- 15 nm
445 nm +/- 15 nm
1064 nm +/- 5 nm
355 nm +/- 2 nm
1064 nm +/- 5 nm
Positioning Accuracy
+/- 0.01 mm
Max Working Speed
10000 mm/s
Enclosure
Integrated
Cutting Platform
Removable
Air Filter
Optional
Connectivity
USB-C, Wi-Fi
Release Date
May 29, 2026
MSRP
$2,499
$2,999
$2,699
not yet available
$4,999
Creality Falcon T1: Included in the box
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The Creality Falcon T1 includes more accessories than can fit in a single picture, including calibration boards, USB adapters, a brush, locking fixtures for the laser table, and much more. In addition to the included accessories, Creality also sent over the optional conveyor belt and rotary attachment kits, both application-specific extras that enhance the functionality of the machine.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The packaging is what you would expect from a laser that retails at $2,249, with foam blocks and hook-and-loop straps securing the laser during shipping. Aside from sliding in the laser module (more on that later), there is virtually no assembly required other than plugging in the display and power supply. The Falcon T1 is ready to go right out of the box and doesn’t require advanced calibration or a lengthy setup.
Design of the Creality Falcon T1
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The Creality Falcon T1 is a more refined product that stands out in the otherwise generally hobbyist-focused line of Creality Falcon laser engravers. The translucent black cover looks like something you’d find on a piece of lab equipment, and the handle on the front makes it easy to lift without touching the glossy surface. The tall aspect ratio of the Falcon T1 is also a departure from the otherwise flat laser engravers you’d typically see from Creality, and the square 175 x 175 mm engraving area is also an indication that this isn’t a typical diode laser cutter.
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Creality heavily promotes the Falcon T1’s “5-in-1” functionality, which refers to the swappable modules that can be inserted and removed to change the type of laser. These include a 20W blue diode laser, a 40W blue diode laser, a 20W fiber laser, a 5W UV laser, and a 60W MOPA (Master Oscillator Power Amplifier) laser. These all have specific applications and are designed to be easily swapped by the end user.
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There is an emergency stop (E-stop) button on the side of the Falcon T1 as well as an arcade-style button which is used to fully extend the laser tower to replace modules. I tested the E-stop and found that it immediately cut power to the unit and required a manual reset to turn back on. Above the E-stop is the LCD screen, which offers basic controls, history, and network information. Additional ports for power, rotary and conveyor accessories, and the exhaust vent are all on the back of the unit.
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The design of the screen feels like an afterthought: the cable comes out from the left side of the unit which makes it awkward to hold with one hand and it’s sideways when mounted to the magnetic standoff on the engraver. Having the interface be vertical or putting the cord on the top of the unit would solve this, but with the current setup I found myself accidentally pressing buttons when I went to grab the LCD. After connecting to Wi-Fi, I used my laptop to start and monitor builds so the LCD didn’t see much use.
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The Falcon T1 has an engraving area of 175 x 175 mm, which is in line with other galvo lasers like the WeCreat Lumos and the xTool F2 Ultra but smaller than most gantry-driven lasers. The engraving area has threaded inserts that allow workholding fixtures to be screwed in, something that’s critical when making very fine engravings where the object must be held still. The exhaust fan sits in the rear of the unit and did a good job during testing of pulling smoke and odor through the fan and into the air purifier unit.
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The Falcon T1 is capable of focusing the laser automatically with no manual calibration required, a useful addition that when combined with the integrated camera means setting up a build can be as simple as only a few clicks. The automatic calibration only takes a few seconds, and the workspace in the Falcon Design Space software will display material inside the machine to assist with laying out builds.
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Unlike a gantry-driven laser like the WeCreat Vision Pro, the galvanometer system of the Falcon T1 means the laser beam always originates from the top center of the chamber, and as a result it creates angled cuts due to the conical shape of the laser work area. This means that cuts become progressively more angled as you move further away from the center of the chamber, something to consider if making an assembly or a design that has any interlocking parts.
Safety Features of the Creality Falcon T1
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Like all lasers, the Creality Falcon T1 can be dangerous if misused or left unattended. Flammable material can ignite during cutting, and engraving produces dust and smoke that can quickly fill a room. When operated with the lid closed the Falcon T1 is a Class 1 laser, which means the user is shielded from the laser during operation. There is a large E-stop on the side of the Falcon T1 which will immediately deactivate the unit when pressed, an important addition for any high-powered laser.
Opening the lid during operation will throw an error, and the interlock will immediately stop the laser and display a warning in the Falcon Design Space. Using the conveyor belt or rotary engraver requires disabling the lid interlock, something that users should take very seriously. The risks of using an unshielded laser are much higher than when the lid is closed, so goggles and ventilation should be used when the lid is opened.
Smoke Purifier for the Creality Falcon T1
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The Creality Falcon AP1 Mini is a small desktop air purifier that is a good match for the Creality Falcon T1, and the 174 m³/h airflow is more than enough to pull smoke and dust from the unit during operation. Other air purifiers like the WeCreat Fume Extractor offer much higher airflow volume for laser cutters like the WeCreat Vista and WeCreat Vision, which are designed to cut through thick sheets of material and generate lots of smoke.
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The Falcon AP1 Mini is a good match for the Falcon T1, and I didn’t notice any smoke leaking from the enclosure during engraving jobs. If you’re planning on using the Falcon T1 primarily for engraving on metal, wood, and doing some 3D engraving, the AP1 Mini will be a great fit. If you are more interested in using the Falcon T1 for cutting through plywood, acrylic, or other material, you may want to consider a unit that provides more airflow.
Software for Creality Falcon T1
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Creality offers the first-party Falcon Design Space software for the Falcon T1 as well as advertising compatibility with LightBurn, another popular laser engraver software. Falcon Design Space offers control over the laser speed and power while also giving users editing tools for vector graphics. I’ve had good experiences with Falcon Design Space in the past and the current version of the software (v1.9.3) keeps all the good stuff while also adding in a new set of generative AI-enabled tools.
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Between the modular laser attachments and the additional accessories, the Falcon T1 offers a total of eight different modes for processing a build. Without any accessories attached, the standard three modes are flat surface engraving (a typical laser engraver experience), 3D relief (designed for deeper cuts on material), and color engraving for the MOPA laser. Each mode offers a slightly different experience in the software, and the included video tutorials are well-made and easy to follow.
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The software includes a mix of functional tools and creative ones, with the ability to generate 3D depth maps, pictures from generative AI prompts and filters, and general editing tools. Like with many generative AI tools, the output from these tools can vary wildly from surprisingly good to shockingly bad, and the overall experience will heavily depend on the user, inputs, and level of post-processing. I was impressed with the “3D Cutting” tool, which is similar to the Autodesk Slicer software that converts a 3D model into a series of parts for assembly, like a Benchy made of plywood.
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Falcon Design Space also allows users to search through a repository of models and import them directly into the canvas, making it easy to find templates or starter projects for beginners. This is a fun way for new users to see what’s possible with a laser engraver, and the ability to modify or customize them lowers the barrier to entry.
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One of my favorite functional tools in Falcon Design Space is the Material Test Array, which allows users to quickly create a matrix that shows the impact of adjusting the speed and power of a laser and how they influence the quality and properties of the engraved material. Using the 40W diode laser and the recommended settings, I engraved a sheet of basswood plywood and was able to easily see the impact of adjusting the parameters as well as selecting a configuration that worked for me.
Engraving / Cutting with the Creality Falcon T1
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The 40W diode laser module was the most approachable for me to use as an initial test, so I loaded it in and set up a simple engraving / cutting job. Using the Benchy T-Shirt design by InfernoMoon, I used the 40W diode laser to engrave the design on some 3mm basswood plywood and also cut it out of the sheet. Adding layers in Falcon Design Space is simple and intuitive, so it was easy to set up the job so the engraving would be done before cutting the part out of the material.
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At 800 mm/s, the coaster build was completed in just 1 minute and 44 seconds. Seeing the rapid movement of the galvo laser on the engraving is impressive, and compared to gantry-based lasers like Creality Falcon A1 Pro it’s no contest when it comes to speed. Based on the results of my initial material test array, I wound up making two versions: one at 800 mm/s and one at 650 mm/s, both of which looked good to me.
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Switching to the 20W fiber laser, I engraved the JR-East Suica penguin logo on a dog tag to put on my luggage, and this was the moment that the galvo laser clicked for me. The software went from “Sending Job” to “Completed” in a total of three seconds, of which the laser was only activated for about one. I thought for sure that there was an issue with the design, but to my surprise, the engraving had taken only a single second to complete.
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The default speed of 5,000 mm/s is blisteringly fast, and the engraving quality doesn’t suffer at all from this rapid movement of the galvo-driven laser beam. This is one of the most compelling features of the Falcon T1: the ability to make high-quality engravings on metal surfaces in only a few seconds with absolutely no prep work required. The 20W fiber laser is also capable of deeper engravings on metal, stone, and other materials, but the quick engraving is a very compelling feature.
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Using the Falcon Design Space default settings, I engraved a dual-layer PU patch for a two-year work anniversary, which took just under 5 minutes. This dual-layer material looks great after a single pass, and the text is clear and legible against the darker top layer. The overall speed of the galvo system is a refreshing change from the lower-cost gantry-driven diode lasers, which operate at a fraction of the speed.
3D Engraving on Slate with the 20W Fiber Laser
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The Creality Falcon T1 offers a 3D Relief mode that can create models typically associated with subtractive manufacturing, such as CNC milling. This mode will engrave thousands of layers away from an object to create a model with a deep relief that has a 3D shape. The Falcon Design Suite software has an integrated tool that allows users to upload an image and convert it to a depth map suitable for an engraving. Using one of the provided images, I went through the process to create a stone coaster with a 3D relief using the 20W fiber laser.
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Once the image has been prepared, the 3D Relief Editor mode gives users more granular control over the engraving. The direction of the relief (emboss vs. deboss), the shape of the frame, and image adjustments are all fast and responsive, and the 3D preview mode instantly updates to show the impact of these changes. This was a surprisingly simple process, and I wound up using the default settings for my first 3D relief.
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In 3D Relief mode, the Processing Preview in Falcon Design Space will look familiar to anyone who has used a 3D printer, with a series of contours on each layer stacked vertically to form the final model. This preview shows the path of the laser on each layer as well as an estimated processing time. For the 3D relief on this slate coaster, the original estimate was 1:53:30 but the final processing time wound up being 2:35:41.
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The 3D relief looked incredible, and even the finest detail resolved on the slate coaster. Doing a deep engraving on a slate coaster creates a lot of dust, so I ran the AP1 Mini at max speed for this job. Even with the purifier running at the maximum setting, there was still quite a bit of dust to clean up inside the Falcon T1.
3D Engraving in Crystal with the 5W UV Laser
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Creality has advertised the AI features of the Falcon Design Space heavily, but using them is a bit of a mixed bag. Using a headshot of myself with a clean background as a prompt, the resulting 3D model had me inexplicably in a toga and generally looked unimpressive. However, it did create a watertight 3D model, which is what’s required for the UV laser to engrave into a crystal. When using Falcon Design Space, I was only able to scale the model in increments of 10% (for example: 1.0, 0.8, 1.5), which was a frustrating experience when trying to align the model with the crystal. Using the special UV engraving mode in the software, I prepared the build and then set the Falcon T1 up for crystal engraving.
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Installing the UV laser module is a bit more complicated than switching between the fiber and diode modules. Most of the Falcon T1 documentation is on a publicly accessible wiki, but the calibration for the UV module is spread across three Word documents that total an eyebrow-raising 57 pages. This calibration documentation is helpful, but much of it was watermarked with a stamp from around the day I had requested it, which made it appear unfinished and rushed. Considering the price of the UV module (over $2,000), I would have expected this calibration documentation to be a bit more presentable.
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Switching from the fiber laser module to the UV module involves replacing the module, replacing the field lens with the F-Theta field lens, calibrating the laser, and calibrating the F-Theta field lens. Creality sent two lenses for the UV module: one for internal 3D engravings and one for flat engravings. The process to switch out the parts and calibrate took about 30 minutes and required two sheets of calibration paper to be used, something to consider if you plan on swapping between modes frequently.
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Overall, the crystal looked as expected and would be perfect for presenting to a sales manager who just surpassed a quarterly quota. The engraving time was accurate (about 12 minutes), and the default settings worked well. I had some issues with alignment, and the model was positioned much lower in the volume than I was expecting based on the layout in Falcon Design Space. Engraving other objects had the same issue, which made me wish for a way to generate a 3D bounding box to visualize where the engraving will land in the crystal.
Conveyor Belt / Rotary Attachment Engraving with the Creality Falcon T1
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Creality offers a conveyor belt attachment for the Falcon T1 which can be used for engraving parts longer than 175mm or batch engraving many small parts sequentially. The $459 optional accessory attaches to the work area using a few bolts and connects directly to the T1 for communication and power. When using the conveyor belt, the lid needs to be kept slightly open which can allow smoke and light to escape. With the lid open, the Falcon T1 should be treated as an exposed Class 4 laser system, so safety goggles, ventilation, and general caution should be exercised when using the conveyor belt.
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Falcon Design Space has a specific workflow for the conveyor belt that involves selecting a design, aligning it on a workpiece, and then entering batch processing mode. I recently purchased a set of bookshelves for my wife’s ever-growing collection of books, and creating genre plaques for the shelves was a perfect batch-processing test. The batch processing mode has a few restrictions: only one design can be engraved, only one material profile per job, and settings can’t change between parts.
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Each of the bookshelf plaques took about 23 seconds to engrave with the 20W fiber laser in a single pass at the default speed of 5,000 mm/s and 100% power. After each part was completed, the conveyor belt would advance a few inches, pause, and take a picture, and then scan for another part to engrave. As the parts completed, they would roll off the edge of the conveyor and hit the table with a satisfying click sound. My only criticism of the belt is the symmetrical design: having a shorter edge to the right of the unit would allow for more belt area for parts to process on the left of the unit without impacting the cost or size of the accessory.
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Creality also sent a rotary attachment for the Falcon T1, but pricing and a launch date had not been announced as of this review. The optional rotary accessory includes two modes: chuck and roller. The chuck rotary uses an adjustable chuck mechanism for engraving things like rings, mugs, and other objects that are gripped from the inside or outside. The roller mode is for cylindrical objects, and has an adjustable width for accommodating various size objects.
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During testing, I was not able to get the Falcon T1 to recognize the chuck rotary and always got the same error message when trying to connect. The motor used for the chuck and roller mode is the same, so this was an unusual problem and Creality was not able to fix it for this review. Creality does not have US-based support for this engraver, so I had to schedule a call with their China-based technical team at 10 PM. The issue was not resolved on the call, and Creality wasn’t able to fix it despite updating the software and spending several days on back-and-forth troubleshooting. For a small business that has a backlog of orders, this lack of urgent support is going to be a critical issue.
Bottom Line
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The Creality Falcon T1 has clear potential to be an “all-in-one” laser for prosumer workshops, but seeing messages like “Oops… Calibration Completed” on the LCD gave me the impression that I was beta-testing a nearly-finished piece of hardware instead of a retail-ready prosumer manufacturing tool. The 175 x 175 mm engraving area of the Falcon T1 didn’t feel cramped at all while I was using it, and the high-speed galvo system meant most 2D engravings were completed in under a few minutes when using the 40W diode or 20W fiber laser.
The Falcon T1 is an impressive machine, but it suffers from an incomplete and confusing product rollout. Originally announced at CES 2026, the Falcon T1 is becoming available for order as of the writing of this review (May 2026), with the UV and MOPA modules following a staggered rollout instead of launching alongside the Falcon T1. Creality claimed the unit sent to me was a production unit, but the lack of a shipping date for additional modules, issues with customer support, and limited accessories available on the site are going to be a concern to serious power users who will rely on Creality for support.
The modular nature of the Falcon T1 lends itself to users who have varying interests or entrepreneurs with flexible business needs. I’ve frequently seen kiosks in shopping malls that engrave crystals with an image while you wait, and wondered about the commercial viability of the business model due to the high cost of the industrial laser required. The prosumer Falcon T1 is a laser that is capable of making these engravings without being locked into that single application, and can easily pivot to engraving dog tags, slate coasters, and other small products.
The Falcon T1 is not a cheap laser: buying the unit, all accessories, and starter materials can easily exceed $10,000. If you want a fast galvo laser to start making products today, the 20W fiber and 40W diode lasers are impressive and should serve that need well. If your decision hinges on the UV or MOPA modules, the Falcon T1 may be a laser engraver worth watching instead of buying immediately.
If you’re looking for a laser to get started with making custom products, the less expensive WeCreat Lumos offers a similar galvo laser setup but has a smaller volume and less powerful laser. The xTool F2 Ultra (one of the best laser engravers) offers a similar experience and has a MOPA laser for color engraving, something Creality advertises for the Falcon T1 but has yet to ship.
People seem all too ready to anthropomorphize LLMs and AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Some humans even admit to ‘relationships’ with one or more of the various examples of machine intelligence. To illustrate how flawed this instinct could be, a Microsoft AI researcher built a tiny neural network inside Age of Empires II using goats, grass, and bridges. Adrian de Wynter shared his work in a paper dubbed If LLMs have human-like attributes, then so does Age of Empires II. The Microsoft researcher, based at the University of York, also talked to 404 Media recently about how he likes to turn absurdism up to 11 to make a point.
In the research paper, De Wynter doesn’t make the argument that LLMs do or do not actually have generalized anthropomorphic attributes. Instead, he illustrates that the AoEII goats can also power the kinds of models that lay behind today's most popular chatbots. That hammers home the argument that “in no case is a machine’s activity to be interpreted in terms of higher cognitive processes, if it can be fairly interpreted in terms of processes which stand lower in the scale of cognitive evolution and development.”
De Wynter also raises the well-known concept of confirmation bias. Those looking for human traits in tech like chatbots will tend to find them, he proposes. However, the big contrast between the absurdist goat example and the commercial LLM chatbot is the way people interact with them, the interface that makes the likes of Claude ‘conversation friendly.’ De Wynter’s research indicates that anthropomizing LLMs is a common trend in computer science papers. From 337 such papers De Wynter looked at, published in the last two years, he says that 57% assumed that LLMs could have human-like traits. This basic assumption could color the research, testing, and, of course, conclusions of these papers.
So, how did the Microsoft AI researcher build the goaty AoEII LLM? Well, he didn’t quite go as far as developing a full-blown LLM. Instead, De Wynter thought it sufficient to use AoEII’s scenario editor to build a working NAND gate, with a 1-bit perceptron, where the goats act as bits. This crude perceptron and the circuit to train it in-game are enough to demonstrate that the simplest building block of a modern neural network could be made this way. And if you think it is absurd that AoEII goats can embody consciousness, then it should be equally absurd to regard any of the well-known chatbots as anything more.
Companies behind the AI boom aren’t discouraging people from anthropomorphizing their wares. In many ways, they might benefit from these human perceptions. Chatbots they deploy are trained with natural language and use techniques to mimic the shape and tone of natural conversation. This makes it easy for users to project personality, emotion, or even consciousness onto them. Top AI company execs have leaned into the perception of their customers, publicly entertaining the idea that their systems could or might be exhibiting signs of consciousness. In his 404 Media interview, De Wynter also highlighted research indicating that people buy more products when they can empathize with them, and that includes AI/chatbot/LLM subscriptions.
A Lithuanian startup developed an Android app that lets verified users monitor the general area for the acoustic signature of Shahed-type drones used by Russia to strike targets and report their approximate location. According to state broadcaster Lithuanian National Radio and Television, the app uses an embedded algorithm to isolate and analyze targets from environmental noise. It reports a possible detection on a public map. With the app running on enough devices, the system could determine the potential location and direction of these drones and warn both civilians and the military of an impending strike.
What makes these drones deadly is their price — because they’re so cheap, it’s easy for an enemy to launch them en masse and overwhelm defenses. However, if you can catch them far from their targets, they’re quite vulnerable (at least for the older propeller-driven models); even gunners armed with a shotgun or assault rifle seated inside a 50-year-old single-propeller trainer aircraft can reliably shoot them down.
The biggest issue for air defense systems is that these drones are quite small and made of lightweight materials, which gives them a relatively low radar cross-section (RCS). A Shahed-type drone usually measures around eight to 12 feet in length and has a wingspan of around eight feet. Although they could be detected by standard radar systems, their speed and size mean that the radar receiver would also pick up a lot of other clutter, such as birds, making it hard to distinguish relevant targets from background noise. These characteristics, combined with their low flight cruising altitude, mean that ground-based radars have trouble picking them up unless they’re flying relatively close.
However, their low flight path also means that they could easily be heard by observers on the ground. So, if enough people can detect their aural signature and report it to a central database, defense forces could mobilize and engage these threats while they’re still distant from their targets and away from population centers. This is similar to the acoustic mirrors and acoustic locators that militaries used in World War I before the advent of radar, wherein they built massive concrete dishes aimed upward, or used smaller, more portable metal horn arrays, crewed by trained personnel listening in to detect the low-frequency sound coming from aircraft piston engines from far away.
We expect this to be far more accurate, though, because it uses advanced algorithms and thousands of detectors operated by verified users. While using this system alone is probably not enough to accurately detect these drones, pairing it with modern radar systems could make the radar operators’ job far easier, as they would have another data source to confirm whether they’re actually seeing drones on their screens or just a flock of birds.
Looking to build a high-end gaming PC but stuck with soaring prices during the AI boom? Worry not as we've identified a great deal that can get you started with some excellent components. Micro Center bundles are now available on Amazon and, as such, we have a Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU combo with an MSI B850 Gaming Plus Wi-Fi motherboard and 32GB of Klevv CRAS V memory on sale for just $1,066.26 right now.
A fantastic selection of high-end components ready to get you started on building a gaming beast. Rocking an 8-core Ryzen 7 9800X3D with 96MB of L3 cache, this bundle pairs it with a feature-rich Wi-Fi 7-capable B850 motherboard and 32GB of speedy 6,000 MT/s CL30 RAM. View Deal
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D holds the first position in our best CPUs roundup for gaming. This is a world-renowned processor that doesn't need a sales pitch. It's the best choice for playing games across every resolution. Sure, it's beaten by the much more expensive 9950X3D2 sometimes (it's very rare), but that chip costs twice as much, so it's terrible value. You're getting 8x Zen 5 cores clocked up to 5.2 GHz with 96MB of L3 cache and just a 120W TDP.
The motherboard this beast will be socketed inside is the MSI B850 Gaming Plus Wi-Fi with native Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7 support. It has a 12+2+1 phase VRM and includes three M.2 slots, with support for PCIe Gen 5.0 SSDs. The rear I/O is fantastic with plenty of speedy USB-A and USB-C ports, along with a 5 Gbps Ethernet connector. The board looks pretty clean, too, with its white and grey aesthetic complemented by blue accents.
Lastly, the bundle also features a Klevv CRAS V 32GB (16x2) kit of DDR5 RAM running at 6,000 MT/s with a CL30 latency. It's the perfect kit for AM5 systems looking to strike the balance between optimal performance and stability, at least until EXPO ULL becomes commonplace. We don't need to remind you how expensive memory has gotten in the past few months, so securing it in a combo deal like this can save you a lot of money.
Overall, you're looking at an excellent base of operations that only really leaves the GPU to worry about. Fortunately, we're hunting for a lot of those deals as well, so keep an eye out. Till then, don't miss out on this curated selection for just $1,066.26 on Amazon — the listing even shaves off an extra 8% off the original price.
Alongside memory, SSD pricing has been at an all-time high thanks to the ongoing AI-apocalypse. But it seems that we might finally see some respite as Prime Day approaches. Western Digital has cut the price of its popular WD Black SN7100 PCIe 4.0 SSD, with the 2TB storage variant dropping from $299.99 to $242.96 on Amazon, a significant discount of around 20%.
The WD Black SN7100 is a successor to the SN770, featuring Sandisk’s proprietary Polaris 3 controller and 218-layer TLC (BiCS8) flash. The lack of DRAM can degrade sustained performance during heavy, prolonged transfers. However, it supports HMB (Host Memory Buffer), which compensates for this by using a portion of system memory as cache.
The SN7100 is a single-sided SSD with the standard 2280 form factor. With 2TB of capacity, the SN7100 uses Sandisk's proprietary Polaris 3 controller and SanDisk's 218-Layer TLC (BiCS8), with speeds of up to 7250 MB/s read and 6900 MB/s write.View Deal
We tested the SN7100 and found it capable of delivering sequential read speeds of up to 7,250 MB/s and write speeds of up to 6,900 MB/s, along with an above-average endurance rating of 1,400 TBW (terabytes written). It also offers excellent random read performance while consuming less power than most PCIe 4.0 SSDs on the market.
This efficiency makes it particularly well-suited for battery-powered devices such as laptops and handheld gaming consoles. Lower power consumption also translates into lower operating temperatures, allowing the drive to run comfortably without an additional heatsink in most everyday workloads. The SN7100 is also compatible with the Sony PS5, delivering performance comparable to other high-end PCIe 4.0 SSDs while maintaining lower power consumption and temperatures.
If you're on the lookout for a speedy storage upgrade, the 2TB WD Black SN7100 at $242.96 is a solid deal, if not its lowest-ever price. Considering this SSD climbed as high as $400 at one point and was selling for around $300 last month, now seems like a good time to purchase.
Putting together a brand-new gaming PC right now is a tough ask because of the skyrocketing prices of pretty much every piece of hardware. That's why turning to laptops and prebuilts can be a more practical choice, and we've found a great deal on a 1440p-ready system that doesn't cut corners. Asus' ROG GM700 is on sale for $1,199.99 on Newegg, pairing a Ryzen 7 8700F CPU with an RX 9060 XT GPU for solid performance across all workloads.
Equipped with a Ryzen 7 8700F and an RX 9060 XT 16GB, this prebuilt is ready for both work and play. Whether you want to game smoothly at 1440p or want to get productive with your PC, the GM700's 32GB of RAM has got you covered.View Deal
The Ryzen 7 8700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor from AMD's Zen 4 family. It can boost up to 5 GHz, and since it sits on the AM5 socket, you have a decent upgrade path ahead of you, too. Technically, this is a laptop chip repurposed for desktop use — a Ryzen 7 8700G without integrated graphics —, so it's slower than AMD's similar 8-core options, but it's still a perfectly capable CPU in its own right.
The RX 9060 XT, on the other hand, needs no introduction. We call it "the best enthusiast value graphics card" in our top GPUs roundup. This is the full-fat 16GB model, so you're getting more VRAM than the competition at this price point. Thanks to its RDNA 4 architecture, features like FSR 4 are available right away, and the GPU performs better than the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB, its direct MSRP rival.
Future
Other than the main components, you're getting 32GB of DDR5 memory and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, all on a midrange B650 motherboard with Wi-Fi 6. The case looks rather nice; it has a strong front I/O, preinstalled ARGB fans, and RGB accents across the PSU shroud. Speaking of which, there's a 600W 80+ Gold power supply powering everything.
Asus says the case is tool-free, so the company is already setting you up for a potential upgrade path when prices normalize a bit. Overall, the Asus ROG GM700 is a competent gaming PC that feels more like a DIY system than a prebuilt. For just $1,199 on Newegg right now, you're getting it for less than it would cost to put all these parts together yourself.
Over the years, resin 3D printers have started offering higher resolution, faster printing speeds, and greater ease of use. If you are looking for one of the most user-friendly resin printers on the market, the newly launched Anycubic Photon P1 is a great choice. It is also currently on sale at Amazon, where you can get the printer bundled with the dual-color material print kit for $619.99, down from its listed price of $969.99, effectively offering savings of 36%.
One of the standout features of the Photon P1 is the build plate. While most resin 3D printers offer an aluminum build plate, the Photon P1 uses a precision-ground steel build plate, which is flatter, stable, and more durable. The company claims that it doesn’t deform during model removal because it is twice as strong as aluminum. It is also corrosion-resistant and offers surface roughness tolerance of under 80µm, which is thinner than a human hair. It also comes with an industrial-grade ball screw for higher precision and longer lifespan.
Designed for anyone looking to print highly detailed miniatures, models, and prototypes, the Anycubic Photon P1 is a premium resin 3D printer that combines high-resolution printing with beginner-friendly operation.View Deal
The printer comes with a 4.5-inch touchscreen display that is easy to navigate without detracting from the machine's overall design. The interface is simple and responsive, while the touch feedback sound has a quirky microwave-like tone. In addition to USB support, the printer allows wireless printing over Wi-Fi through the slicer software or Anycubic's companion app. The vat or container that holds the liquid resin is built of high-quality aluminum and offers a unique locking system. Instead of using a standard screw-style system, it offers a dual slide-out, lock-in-place system.
In our review, we found the Anycubic Photon P1 to be one of the most feature-packed and user-friendly resin printers currently available. It impressed us with its easy setup process, excellent print quality, fast performance, and modern features, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced users. We also appreciated the optional dual-material printing system, though it may feel more like a niche feature for certain buyers.
If you have been considering getting into resin 3D printing, the Anycubic Photon P1 is worth a look at its discounted price. At $619.99 bundled with the dual-color material print kit, the printer offers a strong combination of premium features, ease of use, and impressive print quality.
The Chinese government quietly approved the Space Computing Industry Innovation Center in early June, which aims to bring together rocket and satellite manufacturers, semiconductor fabs, and AI tech companies to build a space computing network. According to the Beijing government, this aims to “connect the entire industrial chain of space computing and boost the development of the satellite Internet of Things (IoT) sector. Research firm SemiAnalysis said on X that China made this move a week before Elon Musk announced his AI1 satellite, which will run AI workloads while orbiting in space.
The center is set to be officially launched later this month, and it will focus on six major research areas: highly reliable, heat-resistant space-native computing chips, high-performance hyper-interconnected space computing payloads, space computing satellite platforms and standard systems, space-based large models under constrained power conditions, integrated space-ground cloud-based measurement and control networking, and space computing power service-oriented and tokenized operations. These are designed to build an orbiting AI data center that will not rely on Earth-bound energy sources and will avoid the bottlenecks that many ground-based data center developments face today.
Everyone's talking about Elon Musk's AI1 satellite this week. Almost nobody noticed: China moved on space-based AI compute a week BEFORE he did.Last week, Beijing quietly launched its first Space Computing Industry Innovation Center. Government-chartered, led by BUPT, a top… pic.twitter.com/4ATro05t2pJune 19, 2026
While Beijing made this quiet announcement earlier than Musk’s AI1 reveal, we should note that Elon already had technical details available during the interview. In fact, the world’s first trillionaire has been talking about compute in space since November last year and filed for a one-million-satellite Orbital Data Center System with the FCC in February 2026. Jeff Bezos is also getting into the game with the 51,600-satellite Project Sunrise set to operate in a sun-synchronous orbit.
What makes China’s announcement different, though, is that it’s making multiple companies work together to build a system. On the other hand, SpaceX and Blue Origin are going at it alone — the two companies are competitors, and it doesn’t look like they’re cooperating with each other to develop the technologies required for space-based AI compute. It even seems that the former is intent on vertical integration, with its new 11-million-square-foot (around 190 to 200 football fields) Gigasat factory and Musk’s TeraFab megaproject.
We’re unsure which technique will be more effective in the long run: having one or two companies pour massive resources into this megaproject (with its success or failure being solely borne by those firms) or making several smaller companies and institutions work together to build a Space Intelligent Computing Research Institute, with the output presumably available for use by Chinese firms. But one thing is certain: Beijing is taking space-based data centers seriously enough to pour resources into them — a significant move for a nation with ample excess electricity and available infrastructure to build power-hungry data centers.
It's time for the Amazon Prime Day sales to begin, and we've put together a list of some of the best deals on offer to kickstart this week of discounted fun for all the eager purchasers in the United Kingdom. All week, we'll be updating this page with some of the best deals on offer, and not just from Amazon, either. Expect to see a few deals from some of the other big retailers, including Currys and Argos, as well as online-only retailers like Scan and CCL, as they try to muscle in on the fun.
That said, Amazon is the big focus here: it's the big Prime Day sale, after all. The event will be running from June 23rd to June 26th, but we've been seeing discounts popping up already. It can be overwhelming trying to find real deals among so many bad ones, which is why we're using the experience we've developed through our product reviews, extensive benchmarking, and comprehensive historical price analysis to separate the good from the bad. Here's what we've found.
Best UK Prime Day RAM Deals
This Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM is unflashy but very formidable, with two 16GB memory modules making up 32GB in total, offering speeds of 6,000 MT/s.View Deal
Best UK Gaming Laptop Deals
A big discount on an Alienware RTX 5060 gaming laptop. It ships with a 16-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate, an Intel Core 7 240H CPU, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD.View Deal
This Acer Nitro V15 gaming laptop is a budget-friendly option for solid 1080p gaming. It comes equipped with a 10-core Intel Core i7-13620H CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, 16GB RAM, and a 512TB SSD.View Deal
Sporting Apple's latest M5 chip, this 13-inch MacBook Air ships with 16GB of onboard RAM and a 512GB SSD. This laptop is available in a choice of four colours: Midnight, Silver, Sky Blue, and Starlight.View Deal
A bargain laptop fitted with performance specs for gaming on this 16-inch 1200p 180Hz display. It features an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 CPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB Ssd, and the mobile Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070 GPU.View Deal
Get a gaming laptop with Intel Core i5-1345OHX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 144Hz display, 24GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and Wi-Fi 6. View Deal
Don’t miss out on this Tom’s Hardware Premium. Get a full year of access for just $29, or from $7 per-month. Get daily news analysis, deep dives into specialist topics in the semiconductor industry, as well as access to Bench, the largest benchmarking database around.View Deal
Best UK Gaming Monitors Deals
This gaming monitor from Asus ships with a 27-inch OLED panel, offering 1440p at 240Hz. It comes with Asus' ELMB support and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility for enhanced gameplay.View Deal
Get a 4K 27-inch OLED monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time. With 3840 x 2160 resolution, USB-C, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and Asus OLED Care Pro, this is a brilliant monitor for PC or console gaming. View Deal
Get 17% (£90) off this QD-OLED 27-inch gaming monitor, a new lowest-ever price on this model at Amazon UK. With 500 Hz refresh rate, this monitor is perfect for 1440p gaming at very high frame rates. View Deal
This MSI MAG 273QP X24 gaming monitor is a serious upgrade, able to support 1440p gaming on a QD-OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate. It comes with DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400 certification, delivering ultra-vibrant colours and true blacks. It also comes with a three-year warranty with burn-in protection included.View Deal
If you prefer 4K, you can boost to this alternative 26.5-inch MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED display instead, coupled with a QD-OLED panel with a 240Hz refresh rate. Like the 273QP model listed above, it comes with DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400 certification for ultra-vibrant colours and true blacks, along with a three-year warranty that includes burn-in protection.View Deal
All-time low price
This AOC Agon Pro AG276UZD gaming monitor delivers 4K on a QD-OLED panel. The 240Hz refresh rate makes it fit for fast-paced gameplay, while a range of other features, including built-in speakers and LED mood lighting, help to round off its impressive spec sheet.View Deal
This MSI QD-OLED display has just hit a record-low price. It features a curved, 49-inch QD-OLED panel with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 1800R curvature, and can support a screen resolution of 5,120 x 1,440 at 32:9 aspect ratio, making it fit for 1440p gaming.View Deal
Best UK Gaming GPU Deals
The Radeon RX 9060 XT comes with a healthy 16GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM, a much-needed specification for playing the latest games at 1440p and above.View Deal
This Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card, made by Gigabyte, comes with 12GB of GDDR7 VRAM and 6,144 CUDA cores. This is a formidable mid-tier card capable of 4K, supported by DLSS 4.View Deal
A serious bargain on this RX 9070 XT GPU. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the best GPU for most users, as it gets the balance right between cost and performance. This Asus-branded Pulse RX 9070 XT features three fans and a overclockable boost clock speed of 3,030 MHz.View Deal
A budget GPU at a record-low price on Amazon. The RTX 5050 is a 1080p-capable card that unlocks access to DLSS 4, including multi-frame generation.View Deal
Grab an 8GB 5060 Ti with triple cooling fans, 2662 MHz clock speeds, and more. View Deal
The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the best GPU for most users, as it gets the balance right between cost and performance. This Sapphire-branded Pulse RX 9070 XT features three fans and a boost clock speed of 2,970 MHz.View Deal
Best UK SSD and Hard Drive Deals
This Samsung 9100 Pro SSD provides 2TB of PCIe 5.0 storage. It delivers impressive performance with up to 14,800 MB/s in sequential read and 13,400 MB/s in sequential write speeds. Check out our Samsung 9910 Pro review for more analysis.View Deal
This Crucial P310 SSD has 2TB of storage and offers Gen 4 speeds, with sequential read and writes of 7,100 and 6,000 MB/s apiece.
This Crucial P510 1TB SSD is the cheapest Gen 5 SSD from a known brand on Amazon right now, and it's dropped to record low prices. This NVMe M.2 SSD can manage sequential read and write speeds of up to 11,000MB/s and 9,500MB/s apiece.View Deal
This 22TB WD Elements external hard drive is a huge storage solution for all of your backup needs. While it's designed to connect with your computer over USB, you can always take it apart, shuck the hard drive, and repurpose it in your NAS or PC.View Deal
Best UK PC Peripherals and Accessories
A new record low price for the Razer Blackwidow V4, a wired keyboard with a full-size layout, customizable RGB lighting and macro keys, and Razer Green Mechanical switches.View Deal
As our Logitech G733 Lightspeed review explains, this is a lightweight, sporty gaming headset with good sound quality and, thanks to Prime Day, an even better price.View Deal
Get a new gaming keyboard with hall effect switches, which are touted as having 20x faster actuation and 11x quicker response times compared to regular switches. They come with 40 levels of adjustable actuation. View Deal
A bigger version compared to the Mini above, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Gen 3 is a wired keyboard with Hall Effect mechanical switches that claim to be the world's fastest. Customizable RGB lighting, along with custom macro keys and a wrist pad, make this a good option for gamers.View Deal
A lightweight, budget-friendly gaming option from Logitech, the G213 includes RGB lighting and the company's own Mech-Dome switches which aim to provide a tactile bump while typing to offer a quieter, Mechanical-lite experience.View Deal
One of the best selling gaming mouse of all time, the Logitech G502 Hero refuses to stop. It's a great bargain mouse for gaming with a Hero 25K DPI sensor, 11 different programmable buttons, RGB lighting, and weights to help you adjust how heavy or light the mouse is to use.View Deal
This large yet ergonomic mouse sports a high 35K DPI sensor, Razer's Gen-3 optical switches with a 0.2ms actuation, and plenty of colour, thanks to 11-zone RGB lighting. It's wired, so you don't have to worry about battery life or latency issues, either.View Deal
The Meta Quest 3S is a budget-friendly mixed-reality headset with one 1,832 x 1,920 LCD for each eye. It offers Wi-Fi 6E connectivity and comes with motion controllers, along with 256GB of storage.View Deal
This Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 SE wireless gaming mouse has a huge 44K DPI sensor, which you can customize inside the G Hub app, along with a 1kHz polling rate. It has five programmable buttons, weighs just 60g, features USB-C charging, and has a rated battery life of 88 hours.View Deal
This is a seriously incredible mouse for the price. Logitech's G Pro 2 Lightspeed has a 44,000 DPI optical sensor, which you can customize for lightning fast movements using the G Hub software, along with four customizable side buttons, USB-C charging, and up to 95 hours of battery life.View Deal
The Razer Huntsman V3 Pro TKL is a genuinely great keyboard for gaming, as our review shows. It nails the fundamentals, offering a pleasant typing experience with smooth switches and pleasant acoustics. Its analog functionality is excellent, especially for customizing your own actuation points, and its rapid trigger mode and general programmability is second to none.View Deal
This incredibly comfortable HyperX Cloud III wired headset features 53mm dynamic drivers, and a detachable boom mic, and has a surprisingly balanced sound profile for a gaming headset.View Deal
If you need a cheap gaming mouse, the Razer Deathadder Essential is a good option. This mouse has a max DPI of 6,400, along with five programmable buttons.View Deal
A big discount on a budget-friendly wired Logitech gaming mouse with RGB lighting and an 8K DPI sensor to rival the Razer Deathadder Essential.View Deal
This 3500X LX-R also comes with three pre-installed fans, iCUE LINK System Hub, GPU anti-sag arm, and space for a further 10 120mm fans, which gives you space for up to two 360mm AIO radiators. View Deal
This case comes with space for two 360mm radiators, a GPU anti-sag bracket, and three RGB fans. It also has a sweeping glass panoramic front for delightful viewing of your internal components. View Deal
Best UK PC Building Tools and Accessories
The Hoto NEX O1 Pro is a magnetic precision screwdriver powered by a 1,500 mAh battery, allowing you to drive over 1,000 screws on a single USB-C charge. It weighs 250g, features three different torque settings, and includes 12 ultra-hard screw bits, rated for 60HRC hardness on the Rockwell scale.View Deal
This small Strebito kit has everything you need to get started with your first or next PC build. You get a precision screwdriver with 48 different bits (slot, Phillips, Pozidrive, Petalobe, Tork, Stand-off driver, Gamebit (for Nintendo consoles), Torx / Torx security, and many others. You also get spudgers and pry tools, tweezers, a brush, and a magnetizer/demagnetizer for your screwdriver bits.View Deal
This larger, but equally as great 142-piece Strebito kit features Torx, Slot, Phillips, Pozi, Hex and many other obscure bits. Spudgers, picks, cleaning cloths, brushes and tweezers are all wrapped up in a travel case ready for the next fix.View Deal
Best UK Gaming Chair Deals
This Secretlab Titan Evo gaming chair comes in a wide range of sizes, materials, and colors, with options for hybrid leather or softweave fabric covering. A cold-cure foam pebble seat provides all-day comfort for work or play while you're sitting at the computer. It features 4D armrests, a magnetic headrest, lumbar support, and height adjustment options to let you customize your seating position. Available in Small, Regular, and XL sizes for a personalized fit.View Deal
Secretlab's latest gaming innovation for the Titan Evo range of gaming chairs is the NanoGen, featuring the same luxurious features as the standard Titan Evo, such as 4D armrests, 4-Way L-ADAPT lumbar support, and a shaped pebble seat. The new Titan Evo NanoGen introduces a new durable and ultra-soft hybrid leatherette and nanofoam composite for extra comfort and durability.View Deal
Best UK 3D Printer Deals
This is a popular and compact 3D printer, solidly built with a full-metal linear rail system and bearings. It features full auto calibration, vibration and flow-rate compensation, and compatibility with multi-colour AMS accessories. It also has a low noise "silent mode" which operates under 48 decibels.
The Creality Ender 3 V3 SE is a great 3D printer for budget creators. It delivers great auto bed leveling, a fast Klipper based 3D printer, and it's uses fully open source software, allowing the community to add and improve its toolset. It offers a 220 x 220 x 250mm build volume, and allows for printing PLA / PETG and TPU via a strong direct drive extruder.View Deal
The Bambu Labs P1S 3D printer can be up and running in 15 minutes. It's an enclosed printer, making it ideal for high-temperature filament printing. Fast prints are standard thanks to the speedy 20000 mm/s² acceleration limit, and you can even remotely monitor your prints by connecting to the built-in timelapse camera.
The Creality K2 Plus is a core XY 3D printer with a large print volume, fast speed, and a heated chamber. It offers a generous 350 x 350 x 350 mm build volume and compatibility with PLA/PETG/TPU/ABS (up to 350 degrees) filaments, making it a printer for makers who wants to get projects out the door.
An interesting conversation on X has unearthed the existence of a rare ASML-focused Special Edition Monopoly board. Two chipmaking and engineering enthusiasts appear to have clinched a deal where one hands over an ASML Lego kit, a scale model of the world’s first High-NA EUV machine. In the no-cash deal, the other party will receive an ASML Special Edition Monopoly board. It appears that the deal is done, barring any regulatory hurdles and no one changing their minds, but it did pique our interest in the history of the board.
Wanna swap with ASML Monopoly? pic.twitter.com/kRtUaAMzK6June 19, 2026
While we’ve seen and reported on the ASML chip tool Lego sets previously, this is the first time the firm’s special edition Monopoly set has blipped on our radar. It is possible this obscurity is due to this board game edition coming out way back in 2007, when the pioneering Dutch semiconductor company’s profile wasn’t quite as high as it is now. With the semiconductor segment becoming all the more important in recent years, driving the current AI boom, cutting-edge chip tool firms like ASML have risen to great prominence.
ASML’s special edition merchandise is also in high demand in the 2020s. Thankfully, we can learn a little more about the provenance of the headlining Monopoly board as it is featured in the board game’s Wiki. As previously mentioned, it was produced in 2007. Specifically, it was prepared for the Christmas period at the end of that year “as a gift to ASML employees and their families this holiday season.” From that ‘publisher’s description, it sounds like quite a few employees will have received one of these games, but it is still obviously an attractive collector’s item.
Sadly, the Wiki imagery doesn’t clearly show what the playing ‘tokens’ are (that’s Hasbro’s official term for the little metal playing pieces). The normal game has tokens like a boot, a dog, and a car, but we can’t quite make out the detail on this. Instead of streets and avenues, the ASML Monopoly board appears to have technologies and machines. Furthermore, the traditional stations are replaced by ASML campuses. Elsewhere on the board, special spaces include Corporate Tax and Press Release, where you must pick up a card. Regular Monopoly features such as Go, Water Works, Go To Jail, and the Electric Company remain.
Other non-consumer-facing semiconductor brands like TSMC and SK hynix have released successful sellout merchandise and memorabilia in recent years. Some items are easier for non-employees to get a hold of than others. For example, it is easy for anyone to find resellers of TSMC-related merchandise on Taiwan’s Shopee marketplace.
A developer has created a Chromium browser-based tool that turns Valve's second-gen Steam Controller into a self-propelled RC car, steering it across a flat surface in real-time with no app or driver installed. The page connects to the controller over WebHID, a browser standard for talking directly to USB and Bluetooth devices, and moves it by pulsing the gamepad's rumble motors. The Steam Controller first went on sale for $99 in early May and promptly sold out.
The tool utilizes the controller’s rumble motors, which, at the right frequency, cause the entire chassis to vibrate and creep across the surface in a chosen direction. The browser handles “steering” by varying the pulses sent to each gamepad stick, so leaning the output toward one motor turns the controller as it crawls. It’s the same type of vibration-driven locomotion that powers cheap “bristlebot” toys.
As for connecting to the Steam Controller, WebHID grants low-level hardware access from the webpage once the user approves the controller via the browser’s device picker, so the entire setup runs inside a single tab with nothing to download. WebHID is only supported in Chromium browsers, such as Chrome and Edge, and not Safari or Firefox.
Naturally, the site comes with some small print that explains that the service is offered “as-is” with no warranty, and warns that driving the controller across the ground scrapes it and wears it down over time. It recommends flat, smooth surfaces that keep the gamepad moving and reduce abrasion.
The community has been hard at work tinkering with the second-gen controller since its May launch. Valve released the Steam Controller’s CAD files under a Creative Commons license shortly after launch, explicitly inviting users to design their own accessories. The gamepad pairs dual trackpads, gyro controls, and grip buttons, a mix of inputs Valve walked through in its developer interview with Tom's Hardware, and that range of hardware has drawn a wave of experiments since units reached buyers.
The repurposed rumble motors here have also been a sore spot for the controller. The firmware quirks caused the rumble to behave erratically or cut out entirely in some games, a problem Valve has been working to patch. Demand has stayed high enough that resellers listed units above $300 after the launch stock sold out, and Valve has since opened a reservation system to push back against scalping bots.
In a June 18 update, Valve said that “initial demand exceeded our expectations,” but that it has “no plans to stop making Steam Controller.” Those now joining the reservation queue will be given one of three timeframes — September 2026, December 2026, or 2027 — for when they can expect to receive an order email with an option to purchase.
While 3D printing has been rapidly advancing and the list of the best 3D printers changes on an almost weekly basis, 3D scanning technology has been making slower but steady progress toward becoming a consumer-friendly technology. With many 3D scanners dropping in price to around the cost of an entry-level 3D printer or laser engraver, it’s a great time to get started and learn about the technology. While some of these scanners launched several years ago, they remain competitive due to continued software updates and strong performance when capturing geometry.
To explain it simply: most 3D scanners work by capturing a point cloud and stitching it together to make a 3D model. This can easily add up to hundreds of thousands or millions of points, so there is a lot of data to process, align, and stitch together to create a 3D model. Some 3D scanners include an onboard computer to simplify the workflow, typically at the expense of a slightly longer processing time than a fast computer. If you’re proficient in mesh editing and 3D modeling, a 3D scanner that uses a computer for mesh clean-up offers more flexibility but may require more hands-on effort.
There’s a 3D scanner for almost every application, from CT scanners that can accurately capture the inside of a model to cell phone apps that can make a 3D model from pictures in minutes. Before buying a 3D scanner, it’s worth doing some research to understand what aspects are most important for your project. Consider what you want to accomplish, and read through some of these tips to get you started on your journey into the world of 3D scanning.
Technology: NIR Structured Light, Blue Laser | Accuracy: Up to 0.02 mm | Resolution: 0.05 to 2 mm | Minimum Scan Volume: 5 x 5 x 5 mm | Scanning Speed: Up to 60 FPS | Alignment: Geometry, Markers | Color Texture: Supported | Connectivity: Standalone, USB, Wi-Fi
Lightning-fast scanning in 22-line crossed laser mode
“One-Click Process” worked well for most scans
Capable and robust on-device mesh editing
Includes extra battery for mobile use
Expensive
Color texture doesn’t meet expectations
Frame rate drops when scanning large objects in standalone NIR mode
The Creality Sermoon P1 is a handheld all-in-one 3D scanner that uses both structured light and blue lasers to quickly and accurately capture geometry. The standout feature of the Sermoon P1 is the integrated touchscreen, which allows users to edit point clouds, create and repair 3D models, and even export the file just by using the onboard computer, no desktop PC required.
The bright 6-inch LCD on the Sermoon P1 is equally readable indoors and outdoors, so users can go through the entire editing process and create a 3D model without needing to put the 3D scanner down. Whether it was scanning sculptures outdoors, automotive components, or consumer products, the Sermoon P1 performed exceptionally during testing, although the color textures lacked detail.
The Sermoon P1 launched at $3,299, a price point that moves into prosumer territory and likely won’t appeal to casual or first-time users. The 22-line laser mode is ideal for scanning large parts quickly, and the ability to go back into single-laser mode to scan deep recesses makes this a compelling option for reverse engineering.
Technology: NIR Structured Light | Accuracy: 0.05 mm | Resolution: 0.1 mm | Minimum Scan Volume: 15 x 15 x 15 mm | Scanning Speed: 10 FPS | Alignment: Geometry | Color Texture: Supported | Connectivity: USB
Capable of scanning black (or dark) objects
Turntable mode is easy to use for beginners
Lightweight and portable
No color texture on base model
Automatic alignment struggles with thin objects
Originally launched in 2023, the 3DMakerPro Mole uses NIR structured light to provide marker-free scanning capable of accurately capturing dark objects without any surface prep or spray. The base package for the Mole doesn’t support color texture capture, although it can capture greyscale textures which may be useful in certain applications. The Mole requires a wired connection to a computer, although an optional grip is included to connect to a smartphone.
The automated turntable is especially beneficial to beginners, and it can capture a full revolution of an object automatically. When enabled, this mode will detect the turntable, remove it from the scan data, and capture 320 frames all in a single operation without any manual work. This worked well during testing and will take out much of the guesswork around positioning for beginners.
The Standard package of the Mole is available for $649, but the extra $100 for the automated turntable in the Premium is easy to justify given the more automated workflow it enables. The Mole is ergonomically designed and easy to hold, and while the software can sometimes struggle with tracking thin objects the Mole is still worth looking at for a first 3D scanner for a beginner.
Technology: NIR Structured Light, Blue Laser | Accuracy: Up to 0.02 mm | Resolution: 0.05 to 2 mm | Minimum Scan Volume: 5 x 5 x 5 mm | Scanning Speed: Up to 90 FPS | Alignment: Geometry, Markers | Color Texture: Supported | Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi
NIR mode provides marker-free scanning
High frame rate for large objects
Requires a wired connection
Expensive
The Creality Sermoon S1 combines NIR structured light and blue laser scanning modes into a single unit and also includes a camera specifically for capturing color textures. The Sermoon S1 is capable of high-precision scanning and capturing deep recesses in the single laser mode, and can also use up to 34 laser lines simultaneously at a high frame rate for capturing large models quickly.
The NIR mode allows for marker-free scanning, making it an appealing choice for applications where it isn’t practical or possible to add tracking markers to a model. While the NIR mode provided high-quality geometry during testing, the color texture wasn’t up to expectations and is unlikely to be a selling point of the unit.
Available starting at $2,399, the Sermoon S1 is similar in specifications to the more expensive standalone Sermoon P1 but offers a higher FPS capture rate and a 34-line mode for the blue laser. The optional $299 Scan Bridge accessory adds a wireless mode for using the scanner without being tethered by cords.
The 3DMakerPro Toucan is an all-in-one 3D scanner that enables a computer-free workflow thanks to onboard processing and a touchscreen LCD. With an upper limit of 15 FPS, the Toucan worked well for small, detailed objects but struggled with tracking loss on larger objects. Sharing a name with the notably colorful bird, the Toucan unfortunately performed poorly during testing when capturing color textures.
The Toucan has two laser modes: Class 1 and Class 3R, with the latter being a more powerful laser that can capture sharp detail but is not safe for applications that involve scanning people. Using tracking markers enables very accurate scans, and the alignment in JMStudio usually works well, but getting the file off the Toucan requires a USB-C thumb drive or a transfer via Wi-Fi.
The Standard package starts at $1,499, but another $200 will buy the Premium package, which includes a portable tripod that doubles as a handle as well as a carrying case. Designed for users who put a high value on portability, the Toucan is a solid 3D scanner for general use or field work.
Here are a few important points to consider when choosing the best consumer 3D scanners.
✅ Structured light or laser?
Structured light 3D scanners are capable of capturing geometry and color data simultaneously, but typically don’t provide the same level of detail or accuracy as a laser-based scanner. Laser scanners can capture details at the sub-millimeter level, but they are typically more expensive and generally don’t capture color data. If you need a scanner for quality control or metrology, a laser scanner is going to be your best bet.
✅ Scanning indoors or outdoors?
The bright and directional light from the sun can make it hard to scan outdoors, and some scanners struggle to accurately capture the contrast from a bright spot to a dark recessed hole. If you’re going to be scanning outdoors or in areas with inconsistent lighting, it’s worth confirming that the 3D scanner is designed for that application.
✅ Tracking markers or no tracking markers?
The reflective markers you will sometimes see on models being 3D scanned are called tracking markers, and they give 3D scanners a reference point in space when aligning frames for creating a point cloud. Tracking markers enable more accurate alignment but aren’t always feasible to put on a model. Typically seen with more expensive laser scanners, these are critical if you’re capturing large or featureless geometry like a car door.
✅ Is color important?
Color can be challenging to capture for many 3D scanners, and editing a color texture can be more complicated than editing a 3D mesh geometry. Photogrammetry apps like Polycam and Metashape can produce clean color textures, but won’t capture the same amount of detail as a laser or Near-Infrared (NIR) scanner.
Most all you hear about "running an AI model" involves a GPU of some sort, but not every AI task is suited to that hardware. Smaller models or single-user latency-sensitive operations can benefit from running on the CPU instead, as it avoids the overhead of shuffling data to and from the GPU. There are also many situations where there is no GPU available to begin with, or it's a meek integrated affair with limited capabilities. Intel and AMD have recently released the full specification for the ACE CPU extensions that make it easier and more power-efficient to run the aforementioned AI tasks on x86 processors.
ACE comes in by offering a technical standard that leverages the existing AVX10 registers but adds silicon dedicated to matrix multiplication. This brings multiple benefits, but the key advantages are better power efficiency, easier development and optimization, and leveraging AVX's 512-bit inputs. The latter makes for easy integration with existing designs by eschewing the need for ACE-specific inputs.
Matrix multiplication is the cornerstone of AI workloads: take a table of numbers, and run a multiplication-addition loop over the whole thing. This has always been possible with most any CPU, though at limited speed. Even today, running these loops uses a lot of power, even when leveraging x86's AVX10 multiply-accumulate instructions — something that's technically a hack, as AVX wasn't designed with 2D matrix operations multiplication in mind.
For the same number of input vectors, ACE can perform 16x as many operations, compared to AVX10. Note this doesn't necessarily mean a 16x speedup, as that will depend on each individual implementation, but it's reasonable to expect that Intel and AMD will dedicate more silicon to this task in future designs to improve performance. Plus, as each ACE instruction performs more work than its equivalent AVX10 loop, there's less CPU instruction overhead and potentially better RAM bandwidth usage right off the bat.
The benefits go far beyond just using fewer instructions for the same thing. ACE is intended to be implementation-agnostic, meaning that ML frameworks and their underlying libraries (PyTorch, TensorFlow) can just write one code path instead of having multiple variations depending on the underlying hardware and its degree of AVX support.
ACE native supports most every data type used in ML operations (including but not limited to INT8, INT32, FP8, FP16, FP32, BF16), but it also can use Open Compute Project's MX block-scaled formats natively, something that AVX10 does not provide. Developers will also be able to move some NPU-specific workloads back to CPU when they need something done now and fast. In those situations, not having to deal with the fact that each NPU is different is a huge boon, too, as ACE offers a consistent target across x86 hardware.
An extremely unfortunate PC builder is the latest to fall victim to Amazon's prolific returns scams, after the Nvidia RTX 5070 they received from the website turned out to be a DVD re-writer, a mousepad, and the busted logic board from an early 2000's Kenwood AV receiver.
The victim was gifted a brand new MSI Ventus 2X variant of the RTX 5070 from Amazon by a friend at a cost of 605 euros ($700). A few days later, when the package arrived, it weighed the same as the real thing, but it certainly did not have a graphics card inside. Instead, the customer received what appears to be a broken logic board from an old Kenwood AV receiver, a DVD rewriter, and what seems to be a mousepad.
"This was shipped and sold by Amazon," u/luutherr told Tom's Hardware. They also provided us with proof of purchase and confirmed the item was a gift from a friend, making the scam all the more galling. That means someone in the middle is the bad actor. In reality, what most likely happened was a scam-swap, where someone previously bought the item, emptied its real box contents, and filled it back up with junk that weighs the same. They then filed for a return, probably citing personal preference as the reason.
Since the box still carried the same weight and the product wasn't returned because of a defect, it ended up back on sale after passing some basic checks. Someone else buys it, and Amazon or the seller unknowingly sends that person the fake item, completing the circle. Believe it or not, this whole process actually used to be worse before Amazon ended its commingling program last year, which sellers exploited to avoid being traced.
In the end, the same system that delivered OP the wrong product should come in handy for delivering justice. A simple return request should get them their money back, but it will certainly erode the customer's trust in the platform. We would say this is a reminder to always stay vigilant when buying PC hardware with prices that seem lower than usual. But since this was bought from the official MSI store and sold directly by Amazon, it's simply a consequence of deceitful human nature.
A security researcher has added another dimension to smart lightbulbs by using them to store a library of banned books, creating what they describe as a “cyberpunk digital dead drop.” Rick Osgood wrote about the idea behind the Banned Book Library on his personal blog, alongside a retelling of the process to create a working prototype. Meanwhile, all the code is open source and available via Codeberg. So, anyone interested can acquire some ESP32-powered smart lightbulbs and distribute stealthy banned book libraries of their own.
Osgood notes that he was pondering making smart lightbulbs more useful. As someone “interested in infosec, open-source software, making things, breaking things,” he found inspiration in Ben Brown’s short story of anti-corporate tech resistance, called ‘Library.’ After that lightbulb moment, Osgood knew he wanted to make a small, inexpensive, cyberpunk‑style digital dead drop, designed for resilience and stealth – by reprogramming smart lightbulbs.
The security researcher chose a Tasmota‑flashed ESP32C3 smart bulb as the starting point for the stealth library project. As this device only has 4MB on board in total for everything, including the OS, and not much spare capacity left over, Osgood spent a considerable amount of time and effort wrangling with adding a microSD reader. However, this expansion effort proved fruitless, and thus he decided to live with the total capacity 4MB limit for the sake of sanity, convenience, and stealth.
Once Osgood accepted the 4MB storage limitation, a key task was to expand the existing ~320KB of free space for the filesystem as much as possible. After some optimizations and tuning, he managed to reserve about half of the total storage space available for banned books. We also assume some kind of text compression is used to make the best use of the limited capacity.
Thus, the current working prototype runs some custom ESP32 firmware, broadcasts an open Wi-Fi network, and hosts a server, with about half of the total capacity of the smart lightbulb left over. That means the all-important LittleFS library partition can be stuffed with almost 2MB of banned books. Osgood's example files use a selection of old public domain titles, presented in a CSS contents page. However, those who set up the lightbulbs will of course want to add their own digital tomes. Guidance for this, and for updating admin settings, and more is provided on the linked blog and Codeberg pages.
The Banned Book Library supports OTA updates. It is also worth mentioning that no cloud services are required, and no sensitive credentials need to be saved on the device. Please remember that modifying your smart lightbulb firmware could ‘brick’ it, so follow the linked guides at your own risk. Finally, also be careful carrying your banned book-stuffed smart lightbulbs when traveling internationally.
Chinese defense supplier Harbin Xinguang Optic-Electronics Technology demo’d two man-portable anti-drone lasers at a Beijing arms expo this week, putting backpack-scale directed-energy hardware alongside the mounted platforms that have so far dominated the space. The Lijian II and Lijian III, shown at the Defence Information Equipment & Technology Exhibition 2026 that opened Tuesday, weigh 30kg (66 pounds) and 25kg (55 pounds), draw around 2 kW, and cost about 2 million yuan (US$295,000) each, according to the South China Morning Post. It also uses AI for targeting.
Each portable unit splits into a laser emitter, an air cooler, and a handheld control terminal, light enough for one or two soldiers to carry. The emitter accounts for about 15kg, and the cooling system for roughly 10kg. Both models have a pitch angle above 90 degrees and reach about 500 meters (1,640 feet). The Lijian III burns through a drone in 4 seconds and needs under 5 seconds to cool before firing again, the company said.
The same line includes a fixed-position model, the Lijian-10G, that draws around 10 kW and reaches 1,200 meters (3,900 feet), but requires a large liquid-cooled box rather than a backpack. Harbin Xinguang said the portable units are "easier to operate and can be quickly deployed and recovered," in comments from a product promoter as reported by SCMP.
Those weight savings, of course, come out of the overall power budget of the laser. At roughly 2 kW, the portable Lijian models sit below the 3 kW-class NI-L3K counter-drone lasers that China showed at DSA 21026 in Malaysia, and far below the heavier directed-energy systems built elsewhere. The U.S. Army is currently testing a vehicle-mounted 20kW LOCUST system on the Oshkosh JLTV platform, and Israel's 100kW Iron Beam became the first high-power laser to enter service late last year. Obviously, those trade portability for the wattage needed to engage longer-range targets.
A 2 kW suits small, low, and slow targets at close range, with a much more favorable cost per shot. Burning down a quadcopter or FPV drone using a laser consumes energy rather than shoulder-fired munitions, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars per round. Zhao said the core technology reached maturity in 2023, as the war in Ukraine reshaped thinking around drone warfare.
Rather troubling is the fact that the Lijian series uses AI to identify targets and engage drones that enter its range, cued by external sensors such as radar. Harbin Xinguang said the weapons have already been placed at some Chinese facilities, including military airfields, and that it’s seeking further orders through the exhibition.
All the specifications come from the manufacturer's exhibition materials and a company representative and haven’t been independently tested.
AMD has told Tom's Hardware that it will reinstate Transparent Secure Memory Encryption (TSME) on desktop Ryzen 9000 processors in July (we have the full statement further below). The feature is branded as Memory Guard for AMD's Ryzen PRO lineup, but it's available on non-PRO CPUs, as well. Earlier this year, AMD quietly removed the feature with AGESA 1.2.7.0, which Ars Technica reported on earlier this week. AMD tells Tom's Hardware that it's bringing TSME back to non-PRO Ryzen 9000 chips "based on valuable community feedback."
TSME is a firmware-level encryption feature for memory. It allows the processor to generate a key in order to encrypt data stored in RAM, serving as a layer of protection against cold boot attacks, where a sudden shutdown can allow a physical attacker to extract sensitive data stored in memory.
According to the Ars Technica report, AMD confirmed TSME support on consumer CPUs as far back as 2020 with the Ryzen 7 3700X. The author of the story, Ben Kilpatrick, discovered TSME's removal after running a security audit on a new machine with the Ryzen 7 9700X. After discovering that TSME was no longer supported, Kilpatrick worked with MSI (his motherboard vendor) to confirm that TSME had previously been supported but was disabled in AGESA 1.2.7.0.
Following the discovery, Kilpatrick raised a bug report on AMD's GitHub repository, where Mario Limonciello, a senior principal software engineer at AMD, eventually responded: “My apologies, but I don’t have any more information to share on this topic."
Without any comment from AMD, it appeared as though the company disabled TSME through firmware on its consumer parts in order to differentiate its PRO lineup. TSME isn't a critical security feature for most consumer desktops, as it protects against attacks where the attacker needs physical access to the device. Still, if it was previously a capability, there's no reason TSME should be disabled through firmware.
Now, AMD has responded to Tom's Hardware with the following statement:
"We take the security of our customers’ data very seriously.
AMD Memory Guard (Transparent Secure Memory Encryption, or TSME) is a hardware-based memory encryption technology available on our Ryzen PRO desktop and mobile processors where supported in silicon. It is a foundational security feature, and we have no plans to remove support from our Ryzen PRO lineup. This commitment holds now and in the future.
Regarding certain non-PRO Ryzen 9000-series desktop processors, a BIOS option to enable Memory Guard was previously available but was removed in a recent update. Based on valuable community feedback, we will reinstate this option in an upcoming BIOS release in July."
Truth be told, not everyone needs the fastest laptop that money can buy. Sometimes, you just need a capable device that can handle day-to-day tasks, office work, or some schoolwork. If any of the mentioned options describe your needs, the Dell 15 laptop, which is currently retailing for $349.99, may just be the one you need.
Starting with the insides, the Dell 15 features a Core 3 100U, a hybrid hexa-core processor with a power-efficient design. It wields two P-cores and four E-cores with a maximum boost clock speed up to 4.7 GHz. The Core 3 100U may sound modest, but it's a solid chip for everyday tasks and light multitasking.
The laptop also comes with 8GB of DDR4-2666 memory and a 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD, both of which are upgradeable in the future. The 15.6-inch panel has an FHD (1920 x 1080) resolution with a 120 Hz refresh rate. It's a great display to work on, featuring 250 nits of brightness and an anti-glare treatment that improves visibility in very bright environments.
The Dell 15 is a reliable laptop for general usage. As with all laptops, it has some trade-offs, but at $349, they're not deal-breakers.View Deal
The Dell 15 has a triple-cell battery with a rated capacity of 41 WHr. It's sufficient for light to medium-demanding workloads. Dell includes a 65W charger, and with ExpressCharge technology, you can charge the Dell 15 to 80% in about an hour. The list of connectivity features includes Wi-Fi 6, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A and Type-C (5 Gbps) ports, and HDMI 1.4.