An enormous hard drive. A speedy cache. Storage makers have tried to deliver the best of both worlds to content creators for years now, and Seagate’s Alkemi platform is the latest attempt to provide creators what they’ve been asking for. But there’s a catch.

Seagate’s 8TB and 20TB FireCuda Forge external drives are the first to use the Alkemi platform, which combines a traditional “cold” storage drive with a “hot” SSD. But Seagate isn’t supplying the SSD. You are.

Interestingly, the FireCuda Forge drives are external, sitting on your desk. (They measure 9.5 x 5.8 x 2.6 inches and weigh over 4 pounds.) It connects via a USB4 (Thunderbolt) cable to your PC. The SSD lives inside the FireCuda Forge, mounted inside an M.2 slot.

Everyone knows that storage prices have shot up over the last year and a half, and the FireCuda Forge adds a new wrinkle.

Seagate is charging $699 for the 8TB drive and $899 for the 20TB model, and requires that you supply a PCIe Gen 3 M.2 internal SSD that’s (fortunately) less than 1TB. The SSD itself needs to deliver 2,400/2,000MB/s read/write speeds, and Seagate recommends that it include some sort of a RAM cache itself. Those are modest requirements as SSDs go; a Samsung 970 Evo Plus, for example, delivers 3,500/3,300MB/s speeds.

The idea, however, is that Seagate’s hybrid drives deliver read and write performance somewhere between a super-pricy SSD and a somewhat less expensive hard drive. Seagate rates the Alkemi/FireCuda Forge as delivering 2,500MB/s read and 2,000MB/s write performance, two orders of magnitude higher than the 190MB/s transfer rate of a Seagate Barracuda 8TB hard drive, or the 210MB/s of a Seagate IronWolf ST8000VN0004.

Still, you’ll need to pay for it. PCPartPicker tracks the price of 8TB 3.5-inch SATA hard drives, and the average price is about $380 or so. Seagate’s 8TB FireCuda is $699…plus the $299 that Amazon charges for the 1TB SSD. You’re paying a premium for more performance, of course.

Seagate’s 8TB FireCuda Forge will end up at about $1,000 all in — but the performance difference between the generic hard drive and the Firecuda is substantial in the latter’s favor.

(Performance will vary depending upon where the data is pulled from; data stored on the outer tracks of a hard drive is read much faster than the inner tracks. Short, intermittent data reads also happen much more slowly than large sequential files.)

Seagate’s FireCuda feels familiar

However the math works out, placing a fast cache against a slower storage drive is a technique that’s been used for years. Most hard drives already include some form of a DRAM cache, typically 256MB or so. This allows frequently accessed files to be recalled more quickly than if the PC has to seek the data out on the disk platter. SSDs also include DRAM cache to hold the mapping table, as well as allocating some of the flash as a write cache of sorts.

Content creators typically work with large video files, streamed to and from the storage medium. Intel’s Optane technology, for its part, was designed more for gamers, offering extensive endurance and excellent random-access performance. Intel killed its Optane SSDs in 2021, however, as PCIe 4 (and later PCI 5) SSDs replaced them.

The earlier Optane Memory did pretty much what Seagate’s Alkemi does: pairing quick XPoint memory with a rotating hard drive. Optane memories, however, were small — just 16GB to 32GB.

The difference for gamers will be in how well the Alkemi platform stores data. If a file or part of a file can be accessed from the SSD, the user should see the maximum-rated performance. If the file isn’t on the SSD, the PC will have to pull the file from the hard drive, meaning that you may have spent a lot of money on a solution that isn’t that impressive.

Content creators, however, will likely be loading, editing, and saving the same file or group of files, and that’s where the FireCuda Forge platform may pay off. It’s certainly a new twist in the ongoing storage wars.

If you’ve ever been stuck in the car with several dying phones and only one USB charging port to share between them, you know how real the struggle can be. One way to make sure you’re never caught in that dilemma again is with this Lisen 4-in-1 Car Charger with two built-in retractable cables. It’s currently on sale for $10.99 at Amazon, down from its original $19.99, with special discount code F3MUB38J at checkout.

This little adapter plugs into your car’s aux power outlet (also known as the cigarette lighter port) and delivers up to 84W of charging across all four ports. The retractable USB-C cable goes up to 45W for super-fast phone charging, while the retractable Lightning cable maxes out at 12W and only works with older Apple devices. It also has an extra USB-C port up to 15W and USB-A port up to 12W, but you’ll have to provide your own cables.

What that means is, you can charge up to four devices at once. It’s a game-changer for daily commutes and road trips. The retractable cables are what really sell me on this, with each one reaching up to 31.5 inches in length. When you’re done, you just give it a quick tug and it spins back in, ensuring you never have to deal with cable clutter in your center console area.

At this price, it’s a no-brainer. Make sure you enter code F3MUB38J at checkout to score 50% off, bringing it down to a brand-new all-time low price of just $10.99 from $19.99.

AMD’s best gaming CPUs have eight cores. Its next generation could pack twelve into the same kind of chiplet, making every single one of them faster.

AMD’s Zen 6 architecture puts 12 full-performance cores and 48MB of shared L3 cache on a single chiplet, up from eight cores and 32MB with Zen 5. That’s a 50 percent jump in both, and AMD is rebuilding the cores themselves to squeeze more performance out of every clock cycle.

The company revealed the finer details during a technical deep-dive into its next-generation Epyc “Venice” server processors. The next generation of Ryzen processors hasn’t been announced yet, but both families share the same underlying Zen 6 architecture. And for gamers, the implications go well beyond stuffing more cores onto a spec sheet, though that’s obviously fantastic.

Twelve cores, one chiplet

A core complex die (CCD) is a group of CPU cores sharing a pool of fast L3 cache, which keeps frequently used data close instead of forcing trips to slower system memory.

Today’s 12-core Ryzen processors need two CCDs because Zen 5 fits only eight cores into each one. That works, but communicating between separate chiplets takes longer than communicating within one. As a result, games with tightly connected threads running across both CCDs can pay a latency penalty.

Zen 6 changes the equation. With 12 cores sharing 48MB of L3 cache, a future 12-core Ryzen could fit entirely on one CCD. That’s 50 percent more cores and cache than Zen 5, though the cache-per-core ratio remains unchanged at 4MB.

Games capable of keeping more than eight cores busy could benefit without spreading that work across two CCDs. Games already running their critical threads on one CCD of a dual-chiplet processor, however, wouldn’t necessarily benefit from the new arrangement.

There’s another potential advantage for future Ryzen X3D processors, which blend Ryzen cores with integrated ultra-fast V-Cache on-die. AMD’s dual-chiplet X3D processors need scheduling logic to steer games toward the cores with the most cache. A single cache-rich CCD with twelve cores could simplify that balancing act.

Zen 6’s design also opens the door to 24-core Ryzen processors using two CCDs, as I explored in my earlier look at five clues to Zen 6’s future.

More cores aren’t the whole story

AMD’s architectural improvements go much deeper than core counts.

The company says Zen 6 delivers a substantial IPC uplift, meaning each core can accomplish more work per clock cycle. Its technical slides show approximately 27 percent higher geometric-mean IPC for the denser Zen 6c variant across AI and server workloads—not a gaming benchmark or a measured improvement for full-performance Zen 6 cores, but even so, the changes to the underlying architecture are extensive.

Zen 6 improves branch prediction with larger prediction queues, a 64-entry return-address stack, and the ability to predict two taken branches per cycle. In practical terms, that means the CPU has more sophisticated tools for anticipating the instructions it needs next. When it guesses wrong, AMD says the architecture can recover faster, reducing wasted work.

The operation cache grows to roughly 6,750 operations, while the front end can deliver up to 18 operations per cycle. Combined with greater instruction fusion and expanded execution resources, these changes are designed to keep the cores better supplied with useful work.

For gaming, that could be just as important as adding more cores. The vast majority of games still depend heavily on the performance of a handful of threads. Better branch prediction, faster recovery, and more efficient instruction execution can improve performance even when those extra Zen 6 cores sit largely idle.

AMD is also manufacturing Venice using TSMC’s 2nm process, targeting improved efficiency and higher maximum clock speeds in certain server configurations. The company hasn’t confirmed the corresponding Ryzen specifications, but all previous Ryzen and Epyc generations used the same underlying Zen architectures.

Now imagine 144MB of 3D V-Cache

AMD’s Venice-X server design offers another tantalizing tease: 144MB of L3 cache per 12-core CCD, combining 48MB of built-in cache with 96MB of stacked 3D V-Cache. For comparison, today’s eight-core Ryzen X3D chips offer 96MB of total L3 cache.

AMD hasn’t announced a 144MB Ryzen X3D processor. But Venice-X demonstrates that Zen 6 can pair 12 full-performance cores with a massive shared cache, the same approach that’s made AMD’s X3D processors so effective in cache-sensitive games. A larger L3 cache keeps more game data close to the CPU, reducing stuttery trips out to slower system memory. It’s the secret weapon behind Ryzen X3D’s audacious gaming successes.

A future single-CCD, 12-core Ryzen X3D could combine that cache with four additional full-performance cores and Zen 6’s architectural improvements. And unlike today’s dual-chiplet Ryzen 9 X3D processors, it wouldn’t need to steer gaming workloads between separate chiplets with different cache configurations.

That could make one of AMD’s most frustrating tradeoffs much less painful: choosing between the straightforward gaming advantages of an eight-core X3D processor and the extra cores of a Ryzen 9.

Not every game benefits equally from more cache or more cores. Clock speeds, power limits, scheduling, and AMD’s eventual consumer implementation for Zen 6-based Ryzen X3D chips will determine how well the pieces come together. But this sounds like exciting stuff on paper.

The best of both worlds?

AMD’s eight-core X3D processors have already proved that clever architecture can outperform brute-force core counts in games. Zen 6 could preserve the advantages of that single-chiplet design while adding four cores, more shared cache, and stronger execution machinery.

We won’t know the real gaming gains until independent Ryzen benchmarks arrive. The server IPC results aren’t gaming predictions, and the architectural improvements won’t eliminate every source of latency. But the prospect is damned intriguing: AMD’s next great gaming CPU might be a twelve-core workhorse that no longer needs a second chiplet to get the job done.

Try shopping for a USB-C cable and you can’t help but notice the disparities in cable pricing and performance claims. They’re just cables, right? How can they really be that different?

At PCWorld we’ve used our share of USB-C cables and can say with total confidence that, indeed, clear differences exist. Perhaps that’s in the construction quality among cables, or their relative performance, whether you’re talking about charging or transferring data.

Our hands-on evaluation of numerous cables — ranging from the biggest, most-recognizable brand names to the cheapest of the cheap — reveals some clear winners.

For these USB-C cable reviews, we don’t trawl consumer reviews like some “reviewers” — we purchase the cables retail and test each one personally, examining how they are physically wired, the resistance, and the accuracy of the embedded eMarker (if it has one). We performance test them on their claims, be it charge rate, transfer rate, or display support.

Our picks of the best USB-C cables below are separated into two groups: those cables that are best for charging, and those best for both charging and fast data transfer.

Best USB-C cable for charging

For most people the above cables are what you’re looking for: reliable and fast charging. For those who also want to transfer data or connect a monitor though, these are our picks:

Best USB-C cables for charging and transferring data

Other USB-C cables that we tested

Compared to our picks above, we wouldn’t advise purchasing any of the other USB-C cables we tested. Why settle for something inferior? But we understand some will want to see which cables didn’t make the cut and why.

How PCWorld tests USB-C cables

We purchased retail USB-C cables for this roundup. We physically measured and weighed each cable and examined each connector. A proper USB-C cable should use a one-piece shell rather than a folded shell with a visible seam in it. None of the cables we purchased used the lower-strength folded shells.

We do want to point out that weight does tend to matter. All cables are essentially tiny metallic wire strands bound together with insulation. Sure, the connector, housing, braiding, and outer shell are all factors in its weight, but lighter-duty cables literally have fewer wires and are far lighter. For example, the Cable Matters high-performance USB4 cable is 32-inches long and weighs more than the Amazon Basics low-performance USB 2.0 cable, which is more than twice as long.

That’s not always better though, as a cable with more wires that are a heavier gauge—or thicker—are less pliable and also take up more space in your bag.

You’d think you could tell whether a cable is USB-C 2.0 by looking at the wires in the connector but that’s not the case. Some cables use connectors with pins that aren’t hooked up to anything.

For example, a USB-C cable that is fine for charging but a dog in data transfer will show up as being wired only for USB-C 2.0, as you can see below by the green LEDs. The “CC” LED indicates the Cable Configuration channel is wired up correctly. 

A full-featured USB-C cable has additional wires to carry higher-speed data and the USB Cable Checker 2.0 shows this Cable Matters USB 4 cable in the picture below with the correct wiring all available. The small LED display also tells us that the cable has an ID e-Marker chip, the shell is properly grounded to the cable, and it does a quick resistance test too. The cable tester also checks to see if the metal shell of the cable is grounded to the ground wire of the cable, which is required by spec. Every cable here was properly grounded.

Resistance is futile

The resistance check from our cable checker is quick and dirty, so we augmented that by also measuring the resistance of the cable’s ground wire and vbus wire using a milli-ohm meter connected via a pair of USB-C breakout boards. The breakout boards at both ends add about 30 mohms to the total. By spec, a USB-C cable should not exceed 83 mohms on the ground wires and 167 mohms on the voltage bus.

Many of the cables we tested were within spec or close enough that it didn’t matter, since there’s likely even more resistance we’re not able to account for with our method. We definitely could tell which cables used heavier-gauge or thick wires with less resistance to restrict the flow of electricity, and which ones cheaped out.

What did the e-Marker say?

Since each of the more advanced cables carries an e-Marker that tells the computer what the cable can do, we noted that and the validity of the e-Marker’s claims. All but one of the cables met those claims, but the one that was wrong was way, way wrong. It claimed USB 3.2 10Gbps transfer speeds and a 1-meter length, when it literally didn’t have the wires for the faster transfer speeds and was actually 2 meters long.

We then looked at how fast the cable would charge and transfer data, and whether it supported an alternate mode to run a monitor, using real-world hardware.

For charging speeds we recorded the maximum wattage at which the cable could charge an Asus ROG Strix 15 gaming laptop over its USB-C port using USB-Power Delivery with an Aukey USB-PD charger as the source while the laptop was under load. USB-PD today is is capable of 240 watts. Any USB-C to USB-C cable should handle 3 amps at 20 volts, or 60 watts. All of the USB-C to USB-C cables fell into the standard 60-watt, 100-watt, or 240-watt camps.

We didn’t test the temperature of each cable’s housing, but we did test the cheapest cable by running it at 5 amps and 20 volts for an hour. The housing heated up by 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and the cable itself became relatively warm (see the thermal image below). Not ideal, but it did this without failure. We subjected other cables to two-hour loads without failure, as well.

For one final charge test, we tasked each cable with a 20 volt, 3 amp and 20 volt 5 amp load (for the 5-amp rated cables) and measured the voltage delivered at the end of the cable using our CT-3 meter.

The cables with the thinnest-gauge wires add more resistance, which in turn reduces the voltage delivered to your laptop, tablet, or phone.

For data transfer, we measured the speed using Crystal Disk Mark 8 while plugged into the USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 port of an MSI Prestige 14 Evo laptop. Since the cables can also be used to transfer data from a Thunderbolt storage drive, we measured how fast that happened using a high-speed SSD-based SanDisk Professional Thunderbolt G-Drive. We found three transfer modes among the cables tested: Thunderbolt 20Gbps performance, Thunderbolt 40Gbps performance, or zero performance because the cable would not work at all with a Thunderbolt drive.

Our last test looked at each cable’s capability running an Asus ROG Strix 17.3-inch portable gaming monitor. The monitor is a high-performance gaming monitor with a resolution of 1920×1080 and refresh rate of 240Hz—which is basically the same bandwidth requirements of a standard 4K 60Hz display.

Why you should trust PCWorld

PCWorld has been testing hardware since the 1980s. Our reviewers are thorough in putting all products through their paces, evaluating them for performance as well as critical usability standards. If we wouldn’t want a product for ourselves, we won’t recommend it.

Price When Reviewed

Free

Best Prices Today: Aomei Backupper Standard

To keep essential data backed up, most users can easily get away with using Windows integrated File History, and various freebies. One of the shining lights among said freebies is Aomei’s Backupper Standard.

Windows’ own disaster recovery options aren’t particularly easy or reliable, hence the boon of a program such as Aomei Backupper Standard that facilitates free and reliable system recovery.

Alas, Backupper Standard needed a bit of help. I had to employ the venerable and equally free third-party boot-disk creation tool (Rufus 4.8) to create Backupper recovery media that would boot successfully on my test systems. Consider that worthy utility a necessary adjunct to Backupper Standard.

Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best Windows backup software for comparison.

What are Aomei Backupper Standard 8.5’s features?

I did a comprehensive comparison of Backupper Standard and Backupper Professional (before I discovered the cheat sheet) to discern which features were and were not implemented in the Standard version.

I was quite surprised at the overall functionality that’s included. All the basics from the paid version are there: file/folder backup, system/drive/partition imaging, one-way sync with the ability to schedule all of them.

Incremental and differential backup are supported, as is disaster recovery. Though, as mentioned, I ran into a bit of an issue creating the PE recovery disk (Linux is no longer offered). Ultimate success was mine, but read the performance section carefully for clues on how.

Backupper Professional features that are missing in Standard include: mirroring, two-way, and real-time sync; culling of backups (removing old unneeded files to make room for more); system clone and partition functions; as well as advanced features like the recovery environment (a hidden partition on your main drive that you can boot from to restore), PXE boot (network boot), command line usage, etc.

There’s also very affordable cloud storage with the paid version, but it can only be used for Backupper backups, not any other data. Those are all nice features for more advanced users, and if you like the sound of them, read my Aomei Backuppper Professional review.

That Aomei Backupper Standard costs you nothing but some time clicking through a nag upon exit is fantastic.

How much is Aomei Backupper Standard 8.5?

The only cost associated with Backupper Standard is a small banner ad at the top of the main Window, and a nag to buy the Pro version when you exit the client software. Really, that’s it.

Below you can see the retail and discounted prices of the Pro version you’ll see when you surf to the company’s website. Nicely, there’s a perpetual license available for Pro — something no longer available from industry heavyweights such as Acronis True Image and Macrium Reflect X Home.

Oddly, there is no mention of the 1TB of online storage (backup and restore only) that is offered with the paid versions for $20/$30 a year. You will find that when you open the “Buy” option from within the trial version of Backupper Professional.

Upgrade? To our mind, the Professional version of Backupper adds some nice features, but they’re not necessarily ones that most users need other than the online storage.

How does Aomei Backupper Standard 8.5 perform?

Backupper Standard ran glitch-free — at least with basic tasks. However, there were a number of non-fatal issues.

The major problem, as mentioned twice already, was creating a boot disk that would actually boot — a must-have for disaster recovery. Backupper created the Windows PE ISO just fine, and I was able to use it in VirtualBox, but the USB thumb drive it created did not show up as bootable on my UEFI test bed.

I managed to create a bootable USB stick with Rufus 4.8; however, the UEFI in the image was deprecated, so I had to lower the security settings in the BIOS to boot with it. Put bluntly, the recovery media feature is workable if you know the tricks, but hardly ideal.

Note that this same boot-disk creation issue plagues the Professional version and has been around since at least version 7. Come on, folks.

Once PE recovery media was successfully created, Backupper Standard performed better than fine. It’s not as fast as the Professional version, but it’s hardly slothful either.

Most importantly, it finished all backup and restore tasks without error — including a full system restore. I will forgive just about anything if the all-important backup and restore operations work properly.

While Backupper Standard restored my system just fine, I suggest you download Macrium Reflect 8 Free as a hedge.

My only other, decidedly minor nits are the lack of a “new folder” button when defining some destinations (see above), and having to select network assets by typing in the IP address — there’s no browse function at the point.

After you supply the IP address, user name, and password, you can then browse the folders at that location using a standard expandable tree. Hmm.

Should you use Aomei Backupper Standard 8.5?

Backupper Standard is surprisingly full-featured and offers the reliable (once you manage to create the boot media) disaster recovery that Windows lacks. That it costs you nothing but some time clicking through a nag upon exit is fantastic.

However, be sure to create your recovery media (using Rufus) and test it before relying on it for disaster recovery. Also check out the free version of Easeus ToDo Backup or see if you can’t make do with Window’s own File History and the free version of Macrium Reflect.

The good news is that users have some solid freebie options to choose from.

Microsoft has done away with the most convenient way for users to transfer files and settings between two Windows computers: the local PC transfer, also known as the ‘PC-to-PC Migration Feature.’ Instead, you now have to use the ‘Windows Backup’ feature, which has a major limitation, as reported by Betanews.

This is because the Windows Backup feature requires you to use OneDrive. However, the free version of OneDrive only provides 5GB of online storage. So if you want to transfer large amounts of data between an old and a new Windows PC using Windows Backup, you’ll need a paid OneDrive account. Alternatively, you can use another online storage service that offers more space, or an external hard drive, to copy large amounts of data between the two Windows computers.

Microsoft removed the option for local PC migration on Patch Day in October 2026 with update KB5127648. This change had already been announced in September 2026 via the optional update (Windows Preview) KB5124010. So, with Windows Backup, data now follows this path: old Windows computer > Windows Backup > Microsoft cloud storage (OneDrive) > new Windows computer.

As well as the additional cost of extra storage on OneDrive, another drawback is that your data leaves your local network and passes through Microsoft’s servers. Furthermore, you must have a Microsoft account to do this. Anyone wishing to use Windows 11 without a Microsoft account cannot use Windows Backup.

With the now-discontinued PC-to-PC migration, you could transfer data and account information from an old Windows computer to a new one via your local network. This process took place entirely over your local network; both Windows computers simply had to be on the same network.

To learn more, see how Microsoft explains how the new Windows PC-to-PC migration tool works.

By the way: If you’re using Windows 11 Home, you’ll miss out on the many benefits of the Pro version, which we’ve outlined here. The Windows 11 upgrade is available in the PCWorld Software Store for just $59.99 instead of $99.

Homemade ice cream is all the rage right now, allowing you to choose your own ingredients, control sugar content, and tailor to your dietary needs. Modern ice cream makers do most of the work, transforming frozen ingredients into creamy desserts at the touch of a button.

The Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl Ice Cream Maker is currently on sale at Amazon for just $279.99, down from its original $349.99. That’s a 20% discount and a new all-time low for this model. Note that it’s only the Amazon-exclusive Bone & Champagne colorway that’s on sale, which makes sense given that this is an early Amazon Black Friday deal.

What the Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl Ice Cream Maker offers

This ice cream maker utilizes what Ninja calls “Creamify” technology. A motor drives a “Creamerizer paddle,” which breaks down frozen ingredients and processes them into a creamy mixture. This works for classic ice cream as well as soft-serve ice cream and milkshakes.

It has 13 operational modes, including six classic Creami functions (such as ice cream, gelato, sorbet, frozen yogurt, and milkshakes) as well as additional soft-serve modes. This allows you to prepare your frozen desserts both in classic scoop and soft-serve variations.

The Ninja Creami is specifically designed for users who want to customize their recipes, and it can cater to various dietary requirements, whether that’s vegan ice cream, reduced-sugar options, or high-protein mixins. A special CreamiFit mode exists for frozen snacks with protein powder or shakes.

The package comes with two containers, each with a capacity of 1 pint, so you can prep different flavors or combinations as needed. These are specialized pint jars with nozzles for dispensing soft serve, as well as storage lids to safely stash your frozen concoctions in the freezer. All the removable parts are dishwasher-safe. The machine itself measures 15.15 x 10.03 x 17.51 inches and weighs 20.8 pounds, so you’ll need ample space for it.

Why this deal is worth considering

I know we’re heading into winter now, but this is the best time to snatch up a Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl for next summer. Now $279.99, it’s a sizeable drop from its previous all-time low price of $299.99. This model is relatively new, sitting at 4.7 stars with 20+ reviews.

Users praise the quality of the results, describing the ice cream as creamy and full of flavor. The machine’s performance is generally rated as reliable. However, some are critical of its full retail price (not an issue with this discount), and opinions are mixed regarding the machine’s noise level during operation. One reviewer says it measures 90 decibels.

The Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl is for households that want to make their own ice cream, sorbet, froyo, or soft-serve on a regular basis, with particular value in its wide range of modes and customization options.

Most Windows programs use their own systems to check for and install updates. However, this can result in an annoying number of reminders. It also carries the risk of missing important security updates.

Windows Latest discovered that a new page for program updates has appeared under Settings > Apps in a preview version of Windows 11 26H2. The feature is based on the Windows Update Orchestration Platform (UOP), a technology Microsoft unveiled in 2025 that enables software developers to connect their existing update systems to Windows.

The idea is that Windows will automatically check for available updates and schedule installations at suitable times. Among other things, the system can take into account whether the computer is in use, the battery level, and the network connection.

Support is intended to cover traditional Windows programs installed outside the Microsoft Store, though this requires developers to connect their software to the system themselves.

The new page is not yet fully functional, and it remains unclear when the feature will become available to all Windows 11 users.

Thermal imaging cameras aren’t just for professionals. They can help you identify problems at home: thermal bridges, drafts, unusual heat buildup around electrical components, problems with heating and ventilation systems, and more. Models that can connect directly to your phone, tablet, or laptop via USB-C are especially handy because they don’t require their own built-in display, cutting down on size and cost.

The Topdon TC001 Max is currently on sale at Amazon, reduced to $263 from its original $320, representing an 18% discount. With it sporting a 4.5 rating out of 5 stars across 150+ reviews, it’s one of the better options—and at this price, it’s a hard deal to ignore.

What the Topdon TC001 Max offers

The Topdon TC001 Max combines two lenses: a 1.5-megapixel visible light camera plus an infrared camera with a 512×384 TISR resolution. Topdon utilizes image enhancement technology that increases the IR resolution from 256×192 to 512×384, providing a more detailed display with clearer contours, temperature differences, and image information.

Five viewing modes are available for various applications: thermal image, thermal fusion, contour fusion, visible light, and picture-in-picture. This allows users to either use the pure thermal image or combine it with visible contours as needed. This can be helpful, for example, with building components, electrical distribution boards, pipework, or components, when the heat source needs to be located more precisely within a space.

The camera operates at a refresh rate of 25Hz with a thermal sensitivity of ≤40 mK NETD. This ensures that thermal images are smooth and small temperature differences are more clearly visible. It also supports photo and video recording, image rotation, 3D analysis, secondary image evaluation, and continuous temperature monitoring via curve graphs.

It features a 50-degree wide-angle lens and can detect temperature differences at up to 5 meters. It can measure temperatures between -4F to 1,022F with ±2% accuracy. In addition, the camera offers 10 color palettes, three analysis modes for point, line, and area, as well as user-defined temperature thresholds with visual and audible alarms.

This camera connects via USB-C and should work with most iPhones, iPads, Android, and Windows devices with USB-C compatibility. Topdon says this camera will NOT work with Mac devices, though. No separate battery is required, as the TC001 Max is powered by the connected device.

Why this is a good deal

At $263, the Topdon TC001 Max isn’t cheap… but thermal imaging cameras aren’t chaep, period. The USB-C attachment type, like this one, typically costs $250 to $300 for a respectable model. Topdon has a cheaper TC001 base model for only $200, but that one lacks a visible light camera and doesn’t work with iOS.

User reviews for the TC001 Max are overwhelmingly positive. The accuracy in temperature measurements, sharp thermal images, and suitability for beginners are frequently praised. Several users describe it as useful for home improvement, while the app is also rated as surprisingly good. However, bear in mind the small sample size of 150+ reviews.

If you’re looking for a compact USB-C thermal imaging camera to use as an accessory with your smartphone, tablet, or Windows device, this is a solid option with decent features at a good price.

If you’ve noticed your SSD filling up or experiencing heavy background activity lately, an ongoing bug in AMD’s software might be to blame.

The fault lies within AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition. It has been reported by several users, according to Tom’s Hardware. The underlying cause appears to be the AMD External Events Utility service, which, on some computers, continuously writes data to the system drive.

Users have reported write speeds of between 0.3 and 5 MB/s. In the worst reported case, this equates to over 400 GB per day. One user states that the storage device’s reported health status has deteriorated by around one percent a month over a period of 16 months, though this has not been verified.

The issue has been reported in both Windows 10 and Windows 11 and appears across several versions of AMD’s drivers, though not all users are affected.

AMD has confirmed the bug and states that a fix is expected in driver version 26.11.1, which does not yet have a confirmed release date.

To check whether your computer is affected, open the Windows Resource Monitor by pressing Windows + R, typing resmon, and selecting the Disk tab. Look for continuous writes from the processes atieclxx.exe or atiesrxx.exe.

You can temporarily resolve the issue by disabling the AMD External Events Utility, though this may affect features such as FreeSync. Of course, waiting for AMD’s forthcoming driver update is an alternative solution.

Tech is expensive these days. AI data center for demand hasn’t abated, and word on the street is that RAM and storage will continue to be pinched through 2030. Ouch.

If you’re like me, you’re probably making do with your current gear—even if it’s considered old by pre-AI-apocalypse standards. It’s a smart move financially, but you shouldn’t just keep plugging along as you always have.

Without some smart tweaks, you leave yourself open to danger online. But doing just these three things will ensure your faithful devices will continue to be protected while online.

1 – Use a current operating system

Back in the day, aged PCs could technically run new versions of Windows, but they didn’t always run well. With Windows 11, they’re actually shut out completely. 

Meanwhile, Windows 10 still is getting security updates for now, but its end-of-life is coming in 2027—so anyone still on it is on borrowed time.

If this is you, you’ll have to switch alternative operating system. ChromeOS is usually the first option I recommend, as most people only ever their laptop or PC for web browsing. This OS is very lightweight—running it on 10+ year old machines can make them feel as fast (if not faster) than brand-new Windows 11 PCs.

But if your laptop isn’t supported or has hit end-of-life for ChromeOS (boo), you’ll have to turn to Linux instead. It has a wide variety of distros, with some more feature-rich and others lightweight. You will have to become more proficient at understanding how to configure and update your system, but it’s a trade of time for money.

(There’s always a cost: Here you either pay in money for a new Windows laptop, or with time to learn Linux.)

2 – Keep your apps updated

You might assume that if your operating system is current and updated, then the rest of your system is fine, too. But if you haven’t looked at your apps in awhile, they may be out of date—and thus vulnerable to an attacker. 

Unlike on mobile devices, PC apps don’t usually self-update. They may notify you of a new version, but you have to actively download the file and then install it yourself for most software. It can be easy to ignore popups that remind you to do so.

Also, as a corollary: You should also remove unused apps and browser extensions from your PC. In addition to potentially improving system performance, doing so is a wise safety precaution. Legitimate software is gradually becoming a vulnerability—it can become compromised after being vetted as safe.

In a world where necessary security certificates aren’t always up to date (see: Secure Boot), unused apps can become an entry point to more dangerous hacks of your PC. Uninstall them and you remove that possibility.

3 – Secure your data

These days, theft isn’t just for physical objects. Data arguably is as sought after—maybe even more so, depending on the source. Encryption helps protect your files and private info, but if you set up your laptop long ago, it may not be turned on.

If you run Windows, the minimum is to have device encryption turned on. (This is the only option available to Home users.) I prefer BitLocker, which is available through the Windows Pro version. You get more control over setup, and also have more ways to save your recovery keys. Regardless of which type of Windows encryption you use, save a copy of the recovery key outside of your Microsoft account. It’ll save your butt if you ever have to recover the drive or move it to another system.

Day-to-day, locking down access to your PC also prevents stolen data. At the very least, choose a solid password or PIN. If your laptop is very old, or you have a desktop PC, you can simplify login by adding accessories that support biometric login, like a Windows Hello-compatible webcam or a fingerprint reader. It speeds up getting into your account, while still being secure.

Final consideration

Sometimes, tech can become too ancient to keep upgrading. On PC, this is less of a concern—the Linux community is very passionate about maintaining and supporting older hardware.

Other devices like e-readers may end up dead in the water, but not a huge risk if you keep them offline. (You’d add and remove books through a computer, if still supported.) You can also try to repurpose smartphones and tablets as completely offline music devices, photo displays, etc.

But for devices like routers and NAS units, which require constant security updates to stay safe online (and are useless if kept permanently offline), you’ll have to let them go. Without those security updates, you’ll be a sitting duck for exploits. It’s not worth it.

If you’re looking for an affordable Windows machine under $500, a blazing fast gaming beast for those intense matches, or a portable 2-in-1 for school or work, you’ve got plenty of great choices right now.

Why you should trust us: It’s in our name! PCWorld prides itself on laptop experience and expertise. We’ve been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review more than 80 laptops every year. We’re also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget.

Best budget laptop deals under $500

Our top pick: Acer Aspire Lite 15, $499.98 ($300.01 off at Amazon)

The Aspire Lite sits in that increasingly important “just enough laptop” category. It’s not trying to be crazy powerful. It’s trying to be consistent. 

This is the laptop you use for reading Reddit stories, watching Netflix, and getting lost in a Wikipedia hole. The lighter stuff. That’s what the entry-level Intel N150 processor is exactly made for. This is a good machine, especially under $500.

View Deal

Amazon

• Asus Vivobook 15, Intel Core 3 100U processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/256GB SSD, $499.96 ($140.03 off at Amazon)
• Acer Aspire Lite 15, Intel N150 processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/256GB SSD, $499.98 ($300.01 off at Amazon)

Best Buy

• Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i, Intel Processor N150 processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/128GB SSD, $337 ($62.99 off at Best Buy)
• HP OmniBook 3, AMD Ryzen 5 processor/16-inch 1920×1200 touchscreen display/8GB RAM/256GB SSD, $469 ($310.99 off at Best Buy)

Target

• HP Stream 14, Intel Celeron N4120 processor/14-inch display/4GB DDR4 RAM/64GB eMMC storage/Windows 11 in S Mode/Pink, $369.95 ($130.04 off at Target)

Best mid-range laptop deals

Our top pick: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i, $612 ($287.99 off at Best Buy)

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i offers a good combination of performance and value for the day-to-day stuff. Its Intel Core i5-1335U processor and 16GB of RAM should handle multitasking and productivity apps without much trouble. You’re also getting a 15-inch 1920×1080 display and a 256GB SSD, giving you a comfortable screen size and enough storage for all of your important files. At $612 ($287.99 off at Best Buy), it’s one of the most well-rounded options out there.

View Deal

Amazon

• Dell Pro 15.6-inch Laptop, Intel Core 3 100U processor/15.6-inch FHD display/16GB DDR5 RAM/256GB SSD/numeric keyboard/fast charge/Windows 11 Home for Business, $558.98 ($141.01 off at Amazon)
• Asus Vivobook 14, Intel Core 5 120U processor/14-inch 1920×1080 display/12GB RAM/256GB SSD, $639.95 ($200.04 off at Amazon)
• Acer Aspire 14 AI, Intel Core Ultra 7 processor/14-inch 1920×1200 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $695.43 ($52.57 off at Amazon)

Best Buy

• Dell 15.6-inch Touchscreen Laptop, Intel 13th Gen Core i7-1355U processor/15.6-inch 2K touchscreen display/16GB DDR5 RAM/512GB PCIe NVMe SSD, $599.99 ($400 off at Best Buy)
• Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i, Intel Core i5-1335U processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/256GB SSD, $612 ($287.99 off at Best Buy)
• Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x, Snapdragon X X1-26-100 processor/15.3-inch 1920×1200 touchscreen display/16GB RAM/256GB SSD, $659.99 ($190 off at Best Buy)

Best gaming laptop deals

Our top pick: HP Omen Max 16, $1,344.99 ($1,155 off at Target)

The refurbished HP Omen 16’s got some good hardware for $1,349.99. With an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and RTX 5060 graphics, it should deliver smooth performance across a wide range of games. The 16-inch 2560×1600 display also keeps visuals looking nice and crisp, while 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage ensure fast load times and plenty of room for your library of games.

View Deal

Best Buy

• HP Victus, AMD Ryzen 7 7445HS processor/RTX 4050 graphics/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $949.99 ($525 off at Best Buy)
• Lenovo LOQ, Intel Core i7 13650HX processor/RTX 5060 graphics/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,369 ($480.99 off at Best Buy)

Target

• HP Victus, Intel Core i5-13420H processor/RTX 4060 graphics/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,199.99 ($1,199.99 off at Target)
• Lenovo Legion 5, AMD Ryzen 7 260 processor/RTX 5060 graphics/15.1-inch OLED WQXGA 165Hz display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/Eclipse Black, $1,499.99 ($300 off at Target)

Best premium laptop deals

Our top pick: Microsoft Surface Laptop, $939.99 ($310 off at Amazon)

The Surface Laptop is pretty much the complete package as far as I’m concerned. Not only is it pretty lightweight at 2.7 pounds, but it’s also got a Snapdragon X Plus chip and 16GB of RAM. That’s plenty for hopping on video calls and streaming your favorite shows. Throw in the excellent battery life (Microsoft says it can last up to 23 hours) and a 13-inch 1920×1280 touch-enabled display, and it’s easy to see what makes this machine so appealing.

View Deal

Amazon

• Microsoft Surface Laptop (2025), Snapdragon X Plus processor/13-inch 1920×1280 touchscreen display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $939.99 ($310 off at Amazon)
• Microsoft Surface Laptop (2026), Snapdragon X2 Elite processor/13.8-inch 2304×1536 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,515.18 ($184.81 off at Amazon)
• Lenovo ThinkPad E16, Intel Core Ultra 7 255H processor/16-inch 1920×1200 display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,598.99 ($1,100.01 off at Amazon)

Best Buy

• HP OmniBook X, Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor/17.3-inch 1920×1080 touchscreen display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,049 ($450.99 off at Best Buy)
• Samsung Galaxy Book6, Intel Core Ultra 7 processor/16-inch IPS LED touchscreen display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,049 ($400.99 off at Best Buy)

Adorama

• Dell Pro 16, Intel Core 5 120U processor/Intel Graphics/16-inch 1920×1200 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,074.99 ($424.01 off at Adorama)

For more options, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now.

If you’ve been reading my coverage for a while, you know that I have an incredibly specific and niche accessory interest: little one-handed keyboards for gaming. It started decades ago with a Belkin gadget, and I eventually “made” my own. I’ve been trying to find or make a “perfect” one, at least for my needs. I’m pleased to say I’ve finally gotten pretty darn close. 

The last time I looked around for new gadgets in this category was when Razer refreshed the Tartarus one-handed keypad, with a ridiculously expensive option that still lacked wireless. (It’s been almost 20 years, Razer, c’mooooon.) Upon investigating I found this one, which is admirably cheap, but lacks the hot-swap switches I covet. 

Then I spotted it: Redragon. Redragon, if you were a person (or perhaps a dragon?) instead of a budget accessory maker, I could kiss you. The company has made a few of these, but they were generally missing the features I needed. No longer. 

Meet the Redragon K776-WL, sometimes styled as the “Grind 39” according to the box in which it arrived. It’s one-handed, with a semi-standard layout for a QWERTY keyboard, so your muscle memory needs no adjustment. It’s wireless, both 2.4GHz with a slim USB-A dongle and Bluetooth. It recharges with USB-C. It’s programmable, with an admittedly ugly but functional Windows driver. And it’s hot-swap. We’ve covered all the bases. 

Once I procured this little fella for just forty US dollars, I proceeded to customize it, like a teenager who wants to impress people with a bone-stock 2004 Honda Civic. I replaced the switches with my favorite for gaming, Kailh’s BOX Heavy Yellow, a linear design with a reinforced stem and stiffer springs, since I tend to bottom out. I moved the keycaps over from my previous one-handed project, which was based on a GameSir device (now apparently discontinued?) intended for the Nintendo Switch. Note the metal WASD keycaps, a HyperX add-on, to differentiate them from the lower-profile XDA keycaps around them.

The keycaps are the one true sore spot on this little board. The package comes with all-matching keycaps, obviously. But the small spacebar, the T and G keys, and the tilde key are all non-standard sizes. I couldn’t find printed keycaps that matched them, so I replaced them with black generic options, found here. And sadly there’s no easy-to-find space bar that fits, so I swapped in the one from Magee, which is slightly less annoying. I also swapped out the rotary dial with a slightly chunkier one from the Magee design. 

Next I added my favorite wrist rest, elegantly secured with Gorilla Tape. I moved over the “tenting” feet that I previously had stuck to the GameSir, which add a bit of cant height for slightly better ergonomics. These are chunky and also magnetic, so now it sticks to my PC tower under my desk, for easy storage. I attached the included strap, just for fun. And that’s it. My perfect — or perfect enough — one-handed keypad is complete. 

The improvements over my previous hacked-together design are USB-C charging, hot-swap switches, a programmable layout (that don’t require a somewhat sketchy Android app), and I suppose RGB lighting. And I’ll point out that I got it for exactly half the price of the latest version of the Razer Tartarus, which is wired and doesn’t use mechanical switches. 

Redragon has also made an adjustable actuation version of this board. I can’t vouch for its quality, but at $55, it’s less than a third of the price of the Tartarus V2 Pro with the same feature. 

Razer, ya could have had my money years ago — and a pretty good chunk of it — if you’d just made it wireless back then. 

Cool stuff from around the web: 

• AMD says it’s a “data center first” company: Y’all said the quiet part out loud. The company isn’t abandoning the gaming market, at least for now. 
• Nvidia now has an “unboxing” game for the classic GeForce 8800GTX graphics card from 2006. Because you can’t afford a flagship card today, you might as well dream about yesterday’s. 
• Nvidia is also in hot water, as its leather-bedecked CEO is being investigated both within and without for an alleged affair with a possible Chinese spy. Not our usual coverage on PCWorld, mind you, but we’ll have to wait and see if this affects the company or the products. 

• Fast food chain Wendy’s made a JRPG, and you can play it for free. WendyQuest is a real game, not AI slop, developed by the same team that’s currently making World of Anterra. 
• Speaking of slop, both Steam and Itch.io are making efforts to stem the flood of low-quality or nothing games appearing on their platforms. Itch has the better solution: a full filter for all vibe-coded games and software. 

Game pick of the week: Into the Breach 

Toss the mecha-monster action of Pacific Rim and chess into a blender, and you’ll get something like Into the Breach. It comes from the same people who made FTL, and for my money it’s the better experience. 

This is a small, tight strategy game that’s more about managing your turns and resources than building an unstoppable army. You’ll need to use the pixelated environments to the maximum to survive each stage. There’s a hint of roguelike in the setup: for every run, win or lose, you can bail one of your three mecha pilots out and send them back in time to use on the next run. 

Into the Breach is deceptively deep, offering a lot more customization than it seems right away, especially once you unlock the ability to mix and match mech teams. It’s $15 on Steam, also available on Switch, iOS, and Android. 

That’s all for this week. To get my editorials, news picks, and game recommendations delivered straight to your inbox, you can sign up for Boost Mode on the PCWorld Newsletter hub. Also check out The Full Nerd for more enthusiast-focused goodies, Prompt Mode for AI tips, Safe Mode to keep your PC and gadgets secure, and Smart Mode to boost your productivity.

Price When Reviewed

$999

Best Prices Today: iRobot Roomba Max 775 Combo

The $999.99 Roomba Max 775 Combo Robot + AutoWash Dock takes much of the work out of floor care. It vacuums, mops, and handles most of its own cleanup, leaving you with relatively little to do beyond occasional maintenance.

But more automation doesn’t necessarily mean cleaner floors. All those hands-free features count for little if a robot leaves dirt or stubborn stains behind. Fortunately, the Max 775 delivers on both fronts, combining excellent cleaning performance with automation that makes keeping your floors spotless genuinely easier.

iRobot Roomba Max 775 Combo: Design and features

The Max 775 has the familiar round Roomba shape, with a black-and-silver finish and two buttons on top for starting or pausing a cleaning job and sending the robot back to its dock. At 14.7 inches long, 14.4 inches wide, and 4.1 inches tall, it’s larger than the average robot vacuum and weighs nearly 13 pounds.

Underneath are two rubber brushes that rotate in opposite directions. One agitates dirt to loosen it from the floor, while the other pulls the debris toward the suction inlet. A pair of edge-sweeping brushes directs dirt from walls and corners into their path.

The Max 775’s more distinctive features are found in its mopping system. Its fabric-covered roller rotates at 200 rpm, scrubbing the floor while continuously washing itself to avoid spreading dirty water, and mechanically extends toward baseboards for better coverage. When the robot recognizes carpet, it raises the roller and closes a protective cover over it to prevent moisture from reaching the fibers.

The AutoWash Dock is a rectangular unit measuring 17.7 by 16.7 by 17 inches. Separate clean- and dirty-water tanks are stowed beneath its hinged lid along with a dust bag compartment and a reservoir for iRobot’s StayClean cleaning concentrate.

The dock automatically empties the robot’s dustbin into an odor-control bag. It also washes the mop roller with water heated to 167 degrees Fahrenheit, then dries it with warm air. Water and cleaning solution are dispensed automatically. iRobot claims up to three months of hands-free operation, although you’ll still need to refill the clean-water tank periodically and empty the dirty one after each cleaning job to prevent odors.

For navigation, the Max 775 combines LiDAR mapping with AI-assisted obstacle recognition. The Roomba Home app lets you schedule cleanings, target individual rooms, and adjust cleaning preferences. The app also offers heated-water spot cleaning, letting you target a specific area on the map rather than cleaning an entire room.

iRobot Roomba Max 775 Combo: Setup and performance

The AutoDock comes fully assembled so you need only to find some space for it. iRobot recommends 1.6 feet of clearance on either side and 5 feet in front. The Roomba Home app handles Wi-Fi pairing. It instantly recognized the Roomba and guided me through the setup with a series of short prompts.  

The first time you use the Max 775 it does a mapping run of your space without vacuuming. It took less than 15 minutes to map my home’s layout and got it mostly right, though I had to divide one room into two and rename them using the map editing tool.

The Roomba Home app offers plenty of control without overcomplicating cleaning jobs. You can vacuum, mop, do both simultaneously, or vacuum first and mop afterward. Cleaning presets include Light, Standard, and Deep, which apply progressively more aggressive cleaning settings, and Smart, which automatically adjusts the settings for each room based on how dirty it is. You can also select individual rooms and arrange them in your preferred cleaning order.

The app also automatically identified specific cleaning zones within rooms, including areas around my sofa, dining table, refrigerator, and toilet. You can clean these areas individually and customize their settings just as you would for an entire room. Options include suction power, the amount of water dispensed, one or two cleaning passes, and whether to use SmartScrub, a feature that uses extra back-and-forth scrubbing passes and downward pressure to tackle stubborn dirt. That allows you to give a particularly dirty area a more thorough cleaning without applying the same settings throughout the house.

For smaller messes, Spot Clean lets you target a specific area on the map, with an option to use heated water for mopping. You can also schedule cleanings and access saved routines from the home screen. Separate dock controls let you wash and dry the mop or empty the dustbin manually when needed.

During my testing, the Max 775 consistently handled dust, cat hair, and food crumbs on my laminate floors without leaving visible debris behind. It cleaned well along baseboards and in corners, often a weak spot for round vacuums.

During combined vacuum-and-mop runs, the robot alternated between the hard floors and area rug in my living room. The rug always stayed dry, suggesting the protective mop cover was working as intended. Mopping was generally effective against tracked-in dirt, kitchen grease, dried spills, and general buildup. Some shoe scuffs were more stubborn and standard mopping left some marks behind, but switching to SmartScrub removed them completely. The floors looked evenly cleaned afterward with no visible streaks.

The Max 775 has excellent obstacle detection. Throughout my testing, it maneuvered deftly around the array of obstacles I left out to challenge it, including pet beds, laundry baskets and several pairs of shoes along with all my home’s furniture. It never got stuck or knocked anything over, which gave me the confidence to let it run unattended most of the time, and it consistently found its way back to its dock.

The dock empties the robot’s dustbin after cleaning jobs, and sometimes during them depending on how fast it fills up. Similarly the dock washes the mop after wet cleaning and dries it with warm air over the roller, rotating it every 15 minutes to expose different sections to the airflow. iRobot doesn’t say how long it takes to completely dry the roller, but several hours seems to be the norm based on the low hum the dock emits during the process.

Should you buy it?

I was pretty happy with the results I got from the Max 775. It consistently returned a gleam to my floors without requiring much hands-on attention from me, which is exactly what you want in a robot vacuum. While any home can benefit from such a helper, I’d say the Max 775 is particularly well-suited for busy households with pets and a mix of hard floors and carpeting. If you mostly need occasional vacuuming, you could get away with spending less on a simpler robot.

TL;DR: Get a refurbished HP gaming desktop with a GTX 1660 Super and a free one-month Surfshark VPN Starter Plan for $429.99 (reg. $483).

Gaming PCs with a dedicated graphics card get expensive quickly, and a keyboard and mouse usually cost extra. If you want a complete setup at a lower price, try this refurbished HP ProDesk 600 G4 Gaming Desktop. It’s on sale for $429.99 (reg. $483), and an RGB keyboard and mouse come in the box.

Graphics come from an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super with 6GB of GDDR6 memory. That card runs Fortnite, Warzone, Valorant, and Apex Legends at 60+ FPS. An 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8500 boosts up to 4.1GHz and has enough power to stream while you play. With 32GB of RAM, you can keep plenty of apps open alongside a game. A 1TB SSD has room for several large game installs and loads them quickly. Windows 11 Pro is preinstalled, and you get USB, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0, plus HDMI, DisplayPort, and Ethernet ports.

This unit has a Grade A refurbished rating, so the case arrives in near-mint condition with little to no scuffing. A 90-day parts-and-labor warranty from a third party is included.

Refurbished purchases also come with a free one-month Surfshark VPN Starter Plan. You don’t need a code, because the plan is added to your cart automatically and the activation code arrives by email after checkout. Each customer can get one free plan while supplies last.

Get a full gaming setup without paying new-PC prices.

Get the refurbished HP ProDesk 600 G4 Gaming Desktop on sale for $429.99 (reg. $483), with a free one-month Surfshark VPN Starter Plan added to your cart automatically while supplies last.

HP G4 Gaming Desktop (2021) i5-8500 32GB RAM 1TB SSD GTX1660s Win11 RGB Keyboard & Mouse (Refurbished)See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Whether you’re working late into the night and want to make sure you’re not waking the whole house because your mouse is too loud, or you need an extra one to slip into your laptop bag, paying only $16 for a Logitech mouse is more than reasonable. That’s exactly how much the silent Logitech M330 Silent Plus mouse costs right now after a 30% discount at Amazon.

This is a comfortable, nearly silent wireless mouse that won’t ask you to replace its batteries every couple of weeks. In fact, Logitech says it can run for over a year on a single AA battery, and if that’s not the epitome of set-it-and-forget-it convenience, I don’t know what is.

The mouse uses Logitech’s SilentTouch technology, which cuts down on that annoying clicking noise, while still delivering the same responsive feel. The fact that it’s so silent is useful in shared offices or during late-night work at home when you don’t want to bother your family.

The M330 Silent Plus comes with rubbery grips that fit the palm of your hand perfectly, so it’s comfortable during long sessions. Tracking is smooth and accurate on most surfaces, so it will suit your needs wherever you’re working from. The mouse comes with a small USB-A receiver, so make sure you have an empty port on your laptop or dock.

Of course, while a $16 mouse will do just fine for low-stakes tasks, don’t expect it to deliver the same comfort as a full-featured ergonomic mouse or the same performance as a full-blown gaming mouse. This is a no-frills mouse that’s great to keep in your laptop bag as a backup.

PDF files are a necessary component of our multi-platform world. With this convenient file format, users are able to view and share documents across various devices, using various operating systems and software programs.

While tasks such as simple viewing and/or commenting on a PDF can be accomplished with free software, there are times when you need a broader range of tools for working with a PDF document. You might want to make edits, reorganize the elements of a file, or collaborate with others to make changes. In cases such as these, you’re better served by a full-featured PDF editor.

The best PDF editors allow you to edit, create, alter, and convert PDF files just like you would with any other text document. Adobe’s Acrobat Pro is full-featured PDF editor, and probably the most well known. Adobe has earned its renown honestly with an excellent feature set and overall utility. But it’s also expensive.

Fortunately, there’s a whole range of capable and even great third-party PDF editors that provide less pricey alternatives to Adobe’s premier product.

Our picks below cover the gamut of PDF editing needs and budgets.

Why you should trust PCWorld for PDF editor reviews and buying advice: At PCWorld, we’ve been testing PC hardware and software for over 40 years. Our evaluation process is always hands-on and thorough, taking into account real-world usage needs. We don’t ever recommend something we wouldn’t be comfortable using ourselves.

Other PDF editor reviews

• MyPDFTools: This handy, free PDF toolkit offers easy and effective basics, but more demanding jobs expose some limitations.
• Swifdoo PDF for Windows: This full-featured, low-priced Acrobat alternative should serve most users well, with most everything you’d need for editing PDFs.
• MobiPDF: Budget buyers will find a lot to like about PDF Extra. It offers good basic-to-intermediate PDF functionality that will please both casual and professional users, for a fraction of the cost of pinnacle program Adobe Acrobat Pro.
• PDF24 Creator: This is a capable free editor that comes in handy for casual use, but if you need a program for more regular editing duties, PDF24 Creator has annoyances that will hinder its helpfulness.
• PDF-XChange Editor: Another full-featured PDF editor that will fulfill most editing needs for a reasonable price. It also offers a respectable free version, if you can accept its watermarks.
• Kofax Power PDF 5: This is a close alternative to Adobe Acrobat Pro with essential and advanced editing tools and lots of help resources, making it suitable for old hands and those new to PDF editing.

A word about online PDF editors

Why spend a chunk of change on a desktop editor when free online PDF editors abound? The simple answer is because you get what you pay for. Generally, free online editors will let you add text and comments, merge and split documents, and convert files to and from PDF. With rare exception, however, they won’t let you edit existing text and many have file-size and page-volume restrictions. And a lot of them will watermark your edited document. For these reasons, web PDF editors are best reserved for simple, fast editing jobs. Call in these big dogs for anything more demanding.

How to choose the best PDF editor

PDF editors come in a variety of flavors, offering varying feature sets—from basic functionality to power-user tools. It’s important to know what features best match your workflow before you commit to a PDF editor.

Create, convert, and export PDFs

The most fundamental function of a PDF editor is to make PDFs, either from scratch, scanned hard copies, or by converting digital documents. A good PDF editor should be able to transform a variety of file types—from Microsoft Office formats to images to HTML—and do so seamlessly, preserving the original formatting. It should also include OCR technology to make the PDF text searchable and editable. Likewise, a good PDF editor must be able to export PDFs into other editable formats such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, HTML, or plain text, maintaining the original files hyperlinks, images, and other elements.

Content editing

Another bit of magic that PDF editors unlock is the ability to modify text; insert, resize, and move images; and reorganize pages in the PDF. A good one will perform these tasks as easily as in a text document or slide deck, allowing in-line editing, dragging-and dropping graphics, and adding or removing hyperlinks.

Review and annotate

A good PDF editor should also let you or anyone else using it add comments and other annotations to PDF files during review. It should have tools to mark up both text documents and graphic-heavy files like webpages. Common options include sticky notes, callout boxes, highlighting, freehand drawing tools, and stamps with messages like “approved,” “revised,” and “confidential.”

Security

All businesses deal with documents containing sensitive data. Look for a PDF editor that includes security features that allow access for authorized eyes only. Good options will usually offer several levels of security, including password protection, permissions setting, and content redaction, which “blacks out” selected text and images. Most PDF editors will also offer one or more ways to electronically sign documents.

Mobile support

While deep PDF editing is best done on a desktop, it’s nice to be able to review and annotate files when you’re out and about. While PDFs can typically be reviewed in any PDF reader or editor, regardless of which one they were created in, consider looking for an editor that has a dedicated mobile app, is optimized for mobile devices, or allows cloud access to features through a mobile browser.

One of the great things about a PDF is that it can be read and edited in any PDF program regardless of which one it was created in. So beyond the features outlined here, let your personal preferences guide you in making your decision.

Microsoft recently rolled out Windows 11 26H2, a major fall update, which proved to be smaller than expected. This was not only due to its compact file size, but also because it introduced relatively few new features.

This raises question about what the future holds for Windows 11 in 2027. BetaNews now reports that Microsoft is already working on the next version of the operating system. However, this will not be Windows 12. Instead, it’ll be version 27H2 of Windows 11.

Nevertheless, according to unspecified insiders, 27H2 is said to represent a “comprehensive redesign” of Windows. The central focus of the new version will (reportedly) be all about “quality,” although this leaves plenty of room for interpretation.

Accordingly, 27H2 is expected to be as extensive as Windows 11 24H2, which was released two years ago. This suggests Microsoft will revise and overhaul essential operating system components, perhaps even replacing them entirely, though exactly which components remains unclear.

Microsoft hasn’t made any official announcements regarding 27H2 or any other 2027 release, so this information should be treated with caution. Many experts, however, suspect that Microsoft is avoiding the “Windows 12” moniker for now, likely to dodge the immense pressure and high expectations.

Consequently, upcoming updates for Windows 11 are expected to follow the established pattern. A continued cycle of incremental improvements and adaptations. In doing so, Microsoft has recently indicated a desire to place greater emphasis on community feedback.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether this plan will pay off for Microsoft.

Windows’ Encrypted File System (EFS for short) is showing its age. Although it’s still very easy to use – just right-click on a file or folder and select Properties > Advanced > Encrypt contents to protect data – the risk of losing the decryption key is still pretty high.

Unlike BitLocker, which encrypts an entire drive, EFS is designed to protect individual files and folders. This can be useful in some situations, but it also means that users may not always be aware of which data they have encrypted.

That’s why most folks switched to alternatives like BitLocker, which comes with Windows, or VeraCrypt. The danger with using EFS is that you might encrypt important data, then delete your account and forget to backup the key beforehand.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to decrypt data again after that. Especially on company PCs or computers used by multiple people. That’s why we recommend you disable the use of EFS. It reduces the risk of inadvertently encrypting files that could become inaccessible later. Before doing that though, you should check if your files are already encrypted.

The best way to do this is with the Search My Files tool from Nirsoft. After you’ve downloaded the software (no installation required!), double-click the Searchmyfiles.exe file. Next, in the Search Options window (under the Attributes section), set the Encrypted option to Yes. Click Start Search.

If the search yields no results, everything is fine. Otherwise, you should try to decrypt the encrypted files so they’re not lost after disabling EFS. Next, type Group Policy into the search box on the taskbar and click Edit Group Policy.

(By the way, the Group Policy Editor is only included in Windows Pro, as well as the Education and Business editions of the operating system.)

Now click on Computer Configuration and navigate to Windows Settings > Security Settings > Public Key Policies. Right-click on the Encrypting File System folder and select Properties. Under File encryption with EFS (Encrypted File System), select the Do Not Allow option and close the window with OK.

If you now try to encrypt a file or folder in File Explorer using EFS, you’ll receive an error message when confirming with OK. It should read: File encryption is disabled on this computer.

I’m finishing up my review of the Alienware AW3926QW, a massive 39-inch, 5K/2K OLED gaming monitor. With that resolution, it’s almost exactly the same amount of pixels as my triple-monitor desktop setup. So I tried to use it alone for a week. And I failed. 

That’s not to say it’s a bad monitor. But pure pixels, even on a large display, aren’t the same as actual utility. 

Pixels aren’t the whole picture

To explain why this didn’t work for me, I need to talk about my normal setup. After 20 years using triple monitors, I’m kind of an addict. For the last five years I’ve used a 34-inch, 1440p ultrawide as my primary central monitor, and two 27-inch 1440p monitors on either side. I generally have a focused writing window on the primary left, a relevant source on the primary right. On my right monitor is Slack for talking to my coworkers, plus a social media feed. On my left is a secondary source or a video window, and smaller tools, like my standing timer. 

All of this is flexible and variable, of course. Things move around as necessary. And my setup when I’m gaming looks much different. But in general, I have a lot of information spread around in a horizontal line, with highly categorized zones. It usually looks something like this, and indeed, looks pretty close to that as I’m writing now.

Switching to the Alienware with the same desktop PC for a week, I knew I’d need to make an adjustment. A little napkin math says that 5120×2160 pixels is approximately the same amount of digital space as a QHD-QHD ultrawide-QHD array, 11.06 million pixels versus 12.3 million. But despite having roughly equivalent pixels, it’s narrower and taller. So in order to match my usual far more horizontal setup I’d need to do some rearranging. That should be possible, in absolute terms. And it was. 

But that screen is also smaller in absolute terms — the pixel density of 5K2K at 39 inches is 142 pixels per inch, versus about 110 ppi for my monitors. As I said in my triple-monitor newsletter, density is extremely important for user comfort, and you need to find a size for windows and text that work for you. I couldn’t make it work on the Alienware, at least not in my usual setup. I had to take things down to just one central, primary workspace, with two narrower zones on either side. 

Here, let me unplug my monitors and pop it over to my secondary desk, and take a screenshot of me writing this very article to show you. Sometimes I used two side-by-side windows instead, if the narrow content on the left just didn’t work out.

That severely hampered my workflow during the day, though it was a lot easier to deal with when I was just browsing or gaming on my own time. I just need more horizontal space, and I couldn’t make use of the extra pixels vertically, since I’m used to laying out text that’s easily scrollable or static videos.

It’s possible that I could adapt to it in time, especially if I added on a secondary monitor. But as a full replacement, it just didn’t work. I should add that none of this makes the Alienware a bad monitor. As I said, it’s fantastic. The thing is jaw-dropping for gaming, and the new panel makes text much more comfy to read than older OLEDs, too. My eyes basically melted playing some Star Wars Galactic Racer.

I’d say that if you want incredible visuals at a big size, it’s about as big as a single gaming screen can usefully get for a regular desktop space. And someone with a different workflow might have no problems at all. It just isn’t a single-screen replacement for my setup. 

Can I go even bigger?

Could a single monitor, maybe a much larger one, handle that job? There are definitely screens that can approximate my triple-monitor setup. Dell also makes a 52-inch Ultrasharp monitor that’s designed for massive multitasking. That one is “6K,” 6144×2560. It’s not explicitly for gaming, but with a 120hz IPS panel, it meets all my needs. Still, now I know that I really can’t use all that vertical pixel space, so it’s not an ideal match. 

The one that immediately sprung to my mind is Samsung’s 57-inch Odyssey Neo G9, which is double 4K, 7680×2160. As it happens, that’s almost exactly the same width as my current monitors, 54.9 inches, only a little less horizontal resolution and far more vertical (8450×1440). 

I think I could make that work, just thanks to the pure shape of that wide screen. But I’m not tempted, at least at the moment. Samsung is still using a relatively old VA panel for that big, big monitor, not fast IPS or newer OLED. So it lacks the color accuracy I need for photo work. 

In fact I’ve been waiting years for Samsung to make an OLED in this size and resolution, specifically because I think it’s the only thing that could tempt me into a single-screen solution. My personal budgeting thanks you, Samsung, for withholding that choice from me — a gaming-grade OLED at that size might stretch towards $2,500 or $3,000. Indeed, the Dell Ultrasharp I mentioned is in that price range, too.

But even if I could find a super-nice panel like the one in the Alienware, at the size I need for my ridiculous multitasking setup, I don’t think I would buy it. As wonderful as it would be to look at my desk and have an unbroken screen literally as far as my eye could see, I’d be terrified, especially with how many hours I put in here. 

All my monitor eggs in one basket

In addition to the visual and mental space I get across three physical screens, there’s a bit of financial security there, too. I paid $200 each for my side monitors about five years ago, and the panels are already starting to wear out. I can replace either of them without too much bother.

I bought a used 34-inch OLED two years ago for about $600, and it succumbed to some pretty bad panel burn quickly — my gamble of a purchase didn’t work out. I replaced it with a cheapo Innocn monitor, which is still a fast IPS panel that can handle my games and text, for…about $200.

So even when I had the nicer OLED, a failure of any one component of my triple-monitor setup was annoying, but not disastrous. And that $200-$600-$200 setup with my used OLED was about the same price as the Alienware 39-incher. At double the price (at least) with a single point of failure, I’d feel awfully nervous putting 8 to 12 hours a day, five days a week onto that pricey screen. 

I hope this little exercise has given you some insight into changes you might make to your setup. It’s always worth thinking about how you use your hardware, not just what it’s capable of, when planning out new purchases.