Buying used PC hardware can be risky business, but it can be quite worthwhile. Used components are a great way to keep yourself under budget, whether you're planning a whole new build or just upgrading one or more parts. This is especially true for GPUs, which can often be the most expensive part of your rig. Buying a brand new, high-end graphics card can cost a good chunk of change, but it doesn't have to be this way. A used unit is more than serviceable, so long as you take the necessary precautions before buying. Here's why you shouldn't bother with a brand new GPU.

Lets say youve finally caved into the desire to build your own Network-Attached Storage server and bought the hardware necessary for the endeavor. The next course of action is to pick the perfect operating system that can fulfill your storage needs. While you can technically build a makeshift file-sharing server using Windows 11, dedicated NAS operating systems are better when it comes to privacy, resource utilization, and above all, storage provisions.

After Nintendo confirmed that it was working on a Switch 2, the internet has been abuzz with information and rumors surrounding this new handheld. We've heard everything from Nintendo Switch backward compatibility to a potential release date, but the gaming giant itself has been silent on the matter. If a recent rumor is to be believed, that may soon change, as a reputable leaker revealed that Nintendo may let us see behind the curtain before October is over.

Welcome to The Drive, a weekly column looking at some wacky, interesting, cool, and pivotal things within the tech space! Curated by PC Hardware Lead Editor Richard Edmonds through almost two decades covering the sector. Think something should be covered? Hit me up at [email protected]!

The Raspberry Pi family has grown a lot since the progenitor board started making the rounds in 2012, and the same can be said about the collection of projects you can build with these credit-card-sized systems. From the community-favorite ad-blocker Pi-hole and retro gaming setups to complex Home Assistant and weather station configurations, these tiny boards pack enough oomph to bring all your tinkering fantasies to life. But if youve grown bored after running the usual tried-and-tested experiments, here are some obscure ideas that are worth trying out on your green SBC.

Alright, so it's not summer anymore, and perhaps you've already packed your grilling stuff away. However, if you're still in the mood to cook some meat, or you just want a project you can work on until the sizzling hot days come back, why not check out this cool wireless barbecue thermometer? It was built from the ground up using a Raspberry Pi, and its designer was nice enough to share their process with anyone interested.

Image: The Verge A few months ago, my doctor showed off an AI transcription tool he used to record and summarize his patient meetings. In my case, the summary was fine, but researchers cited by ABC News have found that’s not always the case with OpenAI’s Whisper, which powers a tool many hospitals use — sometimes it just makes things up entirely.Whisper is used by a company called Nabla for a medical transcription tool that it estimates has transcribed 7 million medical conversations, according to ABC News. More than 30,000 clinicians and 40 health systems use it, the outlet writes. Nabla is reportedly aware that Whisper can hallucinate, and is “addressing the problem.”A group of researchers from Cornell University, the University of Washington, and... Continue reading…

Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge Ever wondered why some of your Instagram videos tend to look blurry, while others are crisp and sharp? It’s because, on Instagram, the quality of your video apparently depends on how many views it’s getting. That’s according to a video AMA from Instagram head Adam Mosseri, in which he explained why some videos are lower-quality than others.Here’s part of Mosseri’s explanation, from the video, which was reposted by a Threads user today:In general, we want to show the highest-quality video we can ... But if something isn’t watched for a long time — because the vast majority of views are in the beginning — we will move to a lower quality video. And then if it’s watched again a lot then we’ll re-render the higher quality video.He... Continue reading…

When sharing files, whether via email, the cloud, or through the old-school style of using a flash drive, you probably want those files to be as small as possible. This saves space on your drive, or it may be required to fit the restrictions of sending files over email.

You probably live in one of the 89% of households that has a desktop computer, so you know that a good mouse is essential, but theres not much you can do without a keyboard. In fact, most jobs today involve using a keyboard to some extent. Whether you work in data entry, public relations, or programming, you need to have some familiarity with how to type. Thats why if you dont know how to touch type (using all 10 fingers without looking at the keys), youre only holding yourself back.

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Apple’s unusual approach to an October event is skipping the event and just announcing some forthcoming announcements. Continue reading…

Modern PC gaming often gets a bad rap for being too demanding, pricing out countless gamers who lack powerful graphics cards. Plus, the state in which some AAA games get released, makes them a struggle to play even on high-end GPUs. Fortunately, the most demanding games don't always equate to the most impressive ones.