CPU

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An image of a Ryzen 7600X CPU.
I stopped buying F-series CPUs, because integrated graphics has saved me far more than the $20 discount
AMD

Is the compromise worth the dollars?

5
An image of Intel Core i9 14900K in a CPU socket on a motherboard
Your CPU still boots up pretending to be a 1978 Intel chip, and Intel gave up on removing it

Both Intel and AMD CPUs pretend to be an Intel 8086 when they boot up, and Intel gave up on getting rid of it.

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bf6-intel-igpu-386h
I handed a worst-case scenario to Intel's cut-down iGPU, and its gaming performance still surprised me

Panther Lake's iGPU capabilities are quite impressive

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (2)
Qualcomm once tried to license x86 from Intel when it was trying to enter the PC space

Intel said no, we like losing market share

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By 
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X CPU in a B650 motherboard.
AMD's Ryzen 5 7600X drops to $142, a rare discount on this budget gaming powerhouse

Be quick or you'll miss it

Close-up of a desktop process box held in a hand with a PC in the background
6 "old" CPUs worth buying in 2026 because they work with the RAM you already own
AMD

Don't waste money on inflated DDR5 systems

nzxt-n7-b650e cpu installed
6 CPUs that are officially too old in 2026

It might be the end of the line for your trusty ol' CPU

27
An NZXT monitor showing a Ryzen 5 7600X clocking 5.2GHz.
CPU overclocking isn't dead, most people just aren't touching the one setting that still boosts performance
AMD

It's not about bumping clock speeds anymore

2
Image showing an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU installed on a motherboard.
Undervolting my CPU was one of the best system "upgrades" I've ever made

A small tweak breathed new life into my CPU

2
An Ryzen 7000 series processor with an NZXT AIO.
Your CPU has been thermally throttled since day one, and one BIOS setting fixes it
AMD

It's the performance trick AMD doesn't advertise, and my Ryzen proved why it matters

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Snapdragon X2 Elite 13
Arm is the future of desktop computing, and the writing is on the wall for x86

Arm has been slowly picking up pace in the last two decades, but the momentum is only growing stronger.

22
An AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
The 5800X3D convinced me I didn't need AM5 — the 9800X3D changed my mind
AMD

It's still fast, but not fast enough to make the 9800X3D or AM5 irrelevant.

A laptop equipped with an AMD Ryzen processor.
AMD might finally be bringing its most important gaming CPU upgrade to laptops, and it makes me cautiously optimistic
AMD

Laptop gaming is about to get really good, if only...

ryzen 7 7700x3d next to packaging box
5 reasons you need to be more careful with RAM on Ryzen (and what you should do to make it better)

While BIOS updates have made Ryzen more user-friendly, there are still some things to keep in mind

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escape-from-tarkov-gaming-pc-windows-keyboard
5 BIOS settings gamers forget to change

Gamers shouldn't overlook these crucial BIOS settings

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ryzen-7-7700x3d-box-stood-up
5 outdated myths about CPUs that you're still falling for

It's time to reassess your long-held beliefs

A USB screen displaying CPU telemetry.
I undervolted my CPU for the temperatures, but it solved a problem I didn't expect it to

Optimizing the curve optimized my PC

5
ryzen 7 7700x3d on top of box showing the pads side
I'd rather pay for AM5 than waste $349 on AM4's last gasp
AMD

The 5800X3D is still legendary, but the platform is well past its prime.

4
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X CPU in a B650 motherboard.
Windows picks the wrong CPU cores for your games, and your processor has been telling it which ones to use
AMD

Windows is making decisions about your CPU that might not be the decisions you would make

3
Asus UEFI BIOS menu on a monitor
BIOS settings that quietly make your PC worse, and what you should do instead

These small toggles can play a large part in your system's overall performance

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