As a PC enthusiast, you probably get the itch to tweak or optimize your PC every once in a while. Whether it's about higher clock speeds, lower temperatures, or more FPS, the work is never really over. In this race to outperform yourself, you might inadvertently find yourself believing several myths or lies about PC hardware tweaking that are only holding you back from achieving a more performant, stable, and cooler machine.

SSDs are arguably the most critical component in our laptops and desktops because they run the operating system and store all of our critical data. Other parts may be repaired or swapped out if they have an issue, but most of us would hate to lose our photos, documents, and other data if our SSD fails.

Spotlight is one of the best features of macOS, providing a search tool and app launcher that handily outclasses the built-in search on Windows 11. But that's not to say you can't get that same great experience on a Windows PC, and even provided by Microsoft itself.

It can be annoying when you are getting things done on your Windows PC and start experiencing slow File Explorer performance. Sometimes it opens files and folders slowly or freezes up entirely while you’re trying to get things done. This hinders your workflow because you need to start troubleshooting the issue to figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it.

It's easy to find a cheap laptop on Amazon or Best Buy. But what about one that you can really use every day and not have it feel like it's obsolete a year or two from now? That's where this Asus Vivobook 14 comes in, featuring an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage.

The Surface Pro is one of the best laptops that you can buy. At the same time, it is also one of the best tablets that you can buy as well. Regardless of how you choose to use it, the Surface Pro 11 is a fantastic option if you're looking for something thin, lightweight, and with tons of power. With that said, the Surface Pro 11 is now on sale, with a serious discount that knocks $350 off for a limited time.

Manually leveling your 3D printer’s bed can sometimes be confusing, especially if you rely on vague instructions. Many people struggle with the “paper method,” which requires adjusting the bed's leveling screws until a sheet of paper slides with just the right amount of resistance under the nozzle. This can feel unclear and difficult to judge. Fortunately, there is a more direct way to get your printer bed leveled correctly.

3D printing can do wonders for your computer. Many PC fans don’t realize how many computer parts you can customize or make yourself with a 3D printer. These printed parts can make your system look and work better. They can also help you build your PC in a way that’s easier to manage and keeps it cool. Plus, they can make your PC look unique and special, something regular accessories can’t do. And the best part? 3D printing these parts can also make it easier to route your cables, improve airflow, and protect your sensitive hardware.

Boot Camp used to be the way to go for running Windows on a Mac, but Apple stopped supporting the feature ever since it introduced Apple Silicon. These days, virtualization is the way to go, and while it was difficult for a while due to Windows not having proper publicly available Arm builds, that's no longer the case. These days, many software solutions let you run Windows on a Mac.

When I got my Photoshop subscription, I was excited about the creative possibilities and thought it would be the ultimate tool for my visual projects. But over time, the subscription model, cost, and learning curve made me start to regret getting a subscription.

Google has updated its affiliate ads policy for Chrome extensions after creators accused PayPal’s popular Honey browser extension of being a “scam.”Honey was accused of taking affiliate revenue from the same influencers it paid for promotion by using its Chrome extension to swap in its own affiliate link before you checked out. According to the updated Google policy posted today, this isn’t allowed in most cases:Affiliate links, codes, or cookies must only be included when the extension provides a direct and transparent user benefit related to the extension’s core functionality. It is not permitted to inject affiliate links without related user action and without providing a tangible benefit to users. Some common violations include:Inserting affiliate links when no discount, cashback, or donation is provided.An extension that continuously injects affiliate links in the background without related user action.Google and PayPal didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.Last month, YouTuber MegaLag, whose video highlighting Honey’s practices has more than 17 million views, said that a “Part 2” to his video was “meant to come out weeks ago” and that “there’s a lot going on behind the scenes, most of which I cannot disclose right now.”In January, YouTuber Legal Eagle sued PayPal over Honey’s alleged affiliate practices. 

A little over a year after releasing two “open” Gemma AI models built from the same technology behind its Gemini AI, Google is updating the family with Gemma 3. According to the blog post, these models are intended for use by developers creating AI applications capable of running wherever they’re needed, on anything from a phone to a workstation with support for over 35 languages, as well as the ability to analyze text, images, and short videos. The company claims that it’s the “world’s best single-accelerator model,” outperforming competition from Facebook’s Llama, DeepSeek, and OpenAI for performance on a host with a single GPU, as well as optimized capabilities for running on Nvidia’s GPUs and dedicated AI hardware. Gemma 3’s vision encoder is also upgraded, with support for high-res and non-square images, while the new ShieldGemma 2 image safety classifier is available for use to filter both image input and output for content classified as sexually explicit, dangerous, or violent.To go deeper into those claims, you can check out the 26-page technical report.Last year it was unclear how much interest there would be in a model like Gemma, however, the popularity of DeepSeek and others shows there is interest in AI tech with lower hardware requirements. Despite its claims of advanced capabilities, Google also says, “Gemma 3’s enhanced STEM performance prompted specific evaluations focused on its potential for misuse in creating harmful substances; their results indicate a low risk level.”What exactly constitutes an “open” or “open source” AI model remains a topic of debate, and with Google’s Gemma, that has focused on the company’s license that restricts what people are allowed to use it for, which has not changed with this new release. Google is continuing to promote Gemma with Google Cloud credits, and the Gemma 3 Academic program will allow academic researchers to apply for $10,000 worth of credits to accelerate their research.