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PCWorld reports that Microsoft launched Xbox Backwards Compatibility on PC, bringing original Xbox games like Crimson Skies, Blinx, Conker: Live & Reloaded, and Fusion Frenzy to Windows PCs.
Games run locally with modest requirements like GTX 950 or Radeon RX 550, with more classic titles expected in future releases.
This move expands gaming options…
There’s a lot to love in the Asus Zenbook A16. It boasts strong CPU performance, excellent battery life, and an absolutely top-notch multimedia experience. The 16-inch frame is surprisingly lightweight, too.
There is, however, a caveat: I received two flawed review units…
Welcome to Boost Mode, my weekly PCWorld newsletter focused on PC gaming, enthusiast hardware, and other geeky stuff centered around your desk and desktop. Fortuitously, my Steam Machine just came in last week, giving me the perfect topic for this inaugural column. I spent…
I have a challenge for you. Can you spot AI-generated content? And more importantly…. Can you identify such photos and video right now?
Here’s the problem: Generative AI keeps improving, so the clues that let you know it’s not real change continually, too. Back in December, I took an NPR quiz that tested my ability to identify AI slop videos (and failed). I used what I learned there to…
Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
PCWorld explains that RAM upgrades are often unnecessary, with GPU, SSD, or cooling improvements typically delivering better performance gains for most users.
High AI demand has driven DDR5-6000 32GB kit prices from $110 to…
New laptops are using old CPUs and that’s a problem
July 21, 2026
One of the core tenets of productivity is to do more with less. But the opposite holds true, too — which a sneaky, pernicious trend permeating the laptop market might reveal.
Microprocessor vendors have begun reusing old silicon, but in a way that obscures that decision…
Any sports fan can tell you about the concept of a “rebuilding year,” when your team doesn’t have a realistic shot at the title, so they give the foundations of their franchise some much-needed TLC. I’m feeling that a lot at the moment, albeit in a twisted way. Because in terms of PC gaming performance, rebuilding is the only thing I’m not doing this year.
If you have a budget for PC…
One of my favorite PC accessories is small enough to toss in any backpack yet makes using your laptop cooler, quieter and more comfortable. You can pay $50 or more for a good one, but a cheap model can be yours for less than the cost of a fancy coffee.
I’m talking about…
The only thing I miss about my old Brooklyn apartment is my office. Big enough for two desks, my office fit for four — count ‘em, four — 27-inch monitors, enough for two dual-screen setups. It was glorious.
After our recent move to Manhattan, though, the office is…
New laptops are using old CPUs. That’s a problem
July 17, 2026
One of the core tenets of productivity is to do more with less. But the opposite holds true, too — which a sneaky, pernicious trend permeating the laptop market might reveal.
Microprocessor vendors have begun reusing old silicon, but in a way that obscures that decision from consumers. Shoppers are left trying to figure out whether their productivity laptop is truly new — and should be priced…
